The Ghana Transport Operators have voiced concerns regarding the credibility of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s suggestion to renew driver’s licenses for a ten-year period, casting doubt on his reliability in this matter.
This reaction comes after the NPP’s presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, pledged to reform the driver’s license renewal policy, extending its validity from two years to ten years.
The NPP flagbearer, Dr. Bawumia, argued that the current 2-year driver’s license renewal requirement is inconvenient and should be extended to provide relief to drivers.
However, the Ghana Transport Operators expressed skepticism about the Vice President’s promises, urging drivers to be cautious and not be swayed by his pledges, particularly as he leads the NPP into the 2020 elections.
“We have become aware of Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia’s promise to implement a policy that will allow for driver’s licenses to be renewed only after ten years”.
“While we welcome the suggestion as a brilliant idea we have genuine cause to not just believe but to also state unequivocally that it is another bait to just win the votes of drivers because he has in times past exhibited a glaring lack of concern for the plight of drivers”.
The Ghana Transport Operators
The group also highlighted that it is widely acknowledged that drivers in the country, especially commercial drivers, are facing immense hardships and struggling to make ends meet.
As such, the group attributed the drivers’ struggles to policies implemented by the NPP government and the Economic Management Team led by Dr. Bawumia.
The Ghana Transport Operators emphasized that the government led by Dr. Bawumia is responsible for introducing the Sanitation and Pollution Levy (SPL) on petroleum products, as well as several other taxes, which have cumulatively contributed to the persistent surge in fuel prices.
The group highlighted that during the tenure of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration, the costs associated with acquiring, renewing, and replacing driver’s licenses and roadworthiness certificates have skyrocketed to unprecedented levels.
Transport Operators Decry Broken Promise
The Ghana Transport Operators pointed out that Dr. Bawumia’s 2020 election promise to provide electric vehicles to drivers through a hire-purchase scheme remains unfulfilled, with no electric vehicles procured for drivers despite his government’s tenure nearing its end.
The group noted that Dr. Bawumia’s failure to deliver on his promise has led to a wave of disillusionment and mistrust among transport operators, with widespread disappointment and skepticism now prevalent across the industry.
“Even recently, Dr. Bawumia at the GPRTU executives’ elections which was held in Kasoa pledged to have the situation where vehicle owners pay penalties for road-worthy certificate renewal for vehicles that went to the workshop dealt with swiftly. However, he appears to have completely forgotten the July 5 pledge”.
The Ghana Transport Operators
As such, the Ghana Transport Operators asserted that the Vice President’s actions are transparently deceitful, revealing a calculated attempt to manipulate drivers into voting for him, rather than a genuine commitment to their welfare.
The group indicated that once disappointed by the Vice President’s unfulfilled promises, it is now cautious of similar promises.
As such, the group urged Dr. Bawumia to demonstrate his commitment by taking concrete action – specifically, removing the taxes his government imposed on petroleum products.
Additionally, the group appealed to the Vice President to lower the fees for obtaining driver’s licenses, roadworthiness certificates, and vehicle registrations.
The Ghana Transport Operators stressed that Dr. Bawumia must first fulfill his 2020 commitment before making any new promises, warning him not to gloss over his past unmet pledge with fresh assurances.
Meanwhile, commercial drivers are shouldering the bulk of the economic burden as petroleum product and spare part prices skyrocket, while transport fares remain stagnant.
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