A number of transport owners in the Tamale Metropolis has accused the regional executives of the Northern Regional branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of monopolizing the
lorry stations and preventing them from having a fair share in the transportation business.
Among other accusations the group alleged that the regional Chairman, Alhaji Amadu Lamusah and some of the executives were giving preferential treatment to vehicles that were their own and always ensure that their buses
loaded almost every other day from Tamale to Accra, Kumasi, Bolgatanga and other major capitals, while vehicles belonging to other transport owners remained parked for months without getting any load.
Speaking to the GNA in Tamale on Friday Mr. Alhassan Mutala a spokesman for the group, said some of the vehicles owned by the Chairman and his close associates had been designated as "no number buses" and these were the ones constantly on the roads.
He also alleged that a commission of 10 percent collected from transport owners for loading was unaccounted for, adding that, the regional chairman could also at any time ask for large sums of money from them without giving any reason for the purpose for which such monies were used.
He said the regional executives had also stifled any discussion on elections and as such they had not organized any elections and had being holding on to Office for several years now.
Mr. Mutala said the executives had also created fear among the transport owners such that they could not openly discuss their grievances,
hence their resort to the media to assist them to have their concerns addressed.
When the GNA contacted the executives of the GPRTU for their side of the story, Mr. Masahudu Salifu, the Regional Industrial Relations Officer, discounted all the allegations and expressed surprise about the allegations levelled against them.
On the preferential treatment being giving to some buses to load on an every day basis, he explained that, the said buses were bought on hire purchase on the initiative of the national executive as part of the Unions project, with funds from the Agricultural Development and Intercontinental Banks, to provide modern buses for the Union since passengers were agitating
for more comfortable buses to travel in.
He said the national executive of the GPRTU had therefore directed the regional union to give special dispensation to those vehicles and also
monitor and supervise their operations, to ensure that they worked efficiently to pay off the debt they owned the two financial institutions.
Mr. Salifu also quoted Article 27 of (sub-section 2) of the GPRTU constitution which says: "Occasional priority on written permission from local or branch executives for a member who has done a voluntary service shall be honoured", to explain why some of the buses were given dispensation for loading on an almost everyday base.
He said the transport business was now a competitive one, and passengers preferred the new buses for long distance travels, to enable them
to sit in comfort, saying that, if passengers were not allowed to make their choices, the union and the transport business would gradually die off.
He said moreover the acquisition of the new Yutong buses was a national project based on the ability to pay the deposit required by the banks.
Mr Salifu explained further that the acquisition of the buses was opened to every one who could pay the deposit, and said he had suggested to the owners of the old buses to sell their buses and raise additional money to buy new buses to enhance their business.
On the accusation that the regional executives had failed to hold any elections since they assumed office, Mr. Salifu said elections were held every four years and the last one the union held was in 2007 with the next elections expected to be held in 2011.