The Ghana National Cargo Transport Association has urged the government to allow a price increase so that they would also stop overloading.
According to the association, the cargo operators overload their vehicles to enable them to get additional money to meet the high cost of their operations, a situation which has resulted in police arresting their drivers.
Addressing a news conference in Accra, last week, the operators also registered their displeasure over the high cost of fuel and servicing of their trucks, yet the price they charge for transporting goods remain the same.
The Chairman of the Achimota Cargo Station, Abdallah Mohammed, flanked by the National President of the Association, announced to the press that as of yesterday “all cargo drivers are to park their trucks till further notice.”
He added that the leadership was going to meet with the government to discuss how to salvage the situation, so that they could resume operations.
According to the chairman, they will have a meeting with the government, through the Minister of Transport on the subject.
They intend to have the government agree to allow them increase the amount they charge on goods they transport like; charcoal, yam and plantain to Accra and other parts of the country.
To the aggrieved drivers, they should be allowed to increase their charges else they will continue to park their vehicles.
POLICE ARREST
Among other issues, the cargo drivers complained of harassment by the police when transporting foodstuff to the market centres, but admit that they overload the vehicles, hence the actions of the police.
Though they acknowledged that overloading was wrong, it nevertheless fetches them additional revenue to meet the cost associated with their work, including maintenance and also to have some money left as profit.
According to the chairman, some of their members were recently arrested at Anyinam in the Eastern region for overloading and detained for three days.
To ensure that they do not go through such an ordeal, which they particularly condemned at the news conference, Ghanaians, especially those who rely on charcoal, may have to suffer the brunt of their action.
