Commercial Drivers to Strike Over Use of Roadside and Walkways for Trading

The Ghana Road Transport Union (GPRTU) is preparing to park their cars next week if law enforcement agencies fail to enforce the road regulation that bans trading along roads and walkways.

The Road Traffic Regulations Act, 2012, states that “A person shall not sell, display, offer for sale or deliver under a sale, goods on or alongside a road; on a pedestrian walkway; within thirty metres of a railway level crossing; under a road traffic sign denoting a blind corner or rise on; within an intersection; or on or alongside a road including a toll booth and a plaza.”

However, the commercial drivers observe that law enforcement agencies are selective in the application of the law.

Whereas the law is enforced when drivers park in undesignated spots, it finds that traders are left to continue the illegality.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Samuel Amoah, said, “It is unfair that we transport operators are expected to adhere to strict regulations while traders are allowed to operate with impunity on our roads.”

He urged the Ghana Police and the government to take decisive action against traders who flout these regulations.

Failure to act, he said, an industrial action will be staged on May 19 to express their displeasure.

“If meaningful action is not taken, we will be forced to take drastic measures. On May 19, 2025, we will park our vehicles in protest, highlighting the need for designated parking spaces and strict enforcement of traffic regulations.”

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini