THE National Chairman of the Union of Trailers and Cargo Trucks, Wahab Yaba, has called on the government to allocate designated parking spaces nationwide for its members.
Mr Yaba said the major challenge confronting members daily, especially in Tema, was the lack of parking space, an issue he said city authorities had failed to address over the years.
Making the appeal on Saturday through the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema East, Isaac Ashai Odamtten, the chairman said the union’s aim, among others, was to promote the welfare and development of its members across the country.
He added that drivers face harassment from port and city officials who order them to move from parking areas at the port and along roadsides without providing alternative locations.
Mr Yaba lamented that the situation was the same in other regions, to the extent that drivers found it difficult to secure places to park to rest or attend to other needs before continuing their journeys.
According to him, the allocation would enable them to operate legally while contributing to the country’s economic growth.
He also indicated the union’s commitment to addressing other issues, including representation in neighbouring countries to enable members to offer services.
“Neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso and Mali do not allow trailer and cargo drivers from Ghana to operate beyond their borders, yet their drivers work comfortably in Ghana,” he said.
Responding, Mr Odamtten called for an intentional approach by state authorities to provide the necessary enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
He said this would ensure efficiency and improved output in the delivery of goods and services without bottlenecks.
Mr Odamtten stressed that city authorities must anticipate that the presence of a port in Tema or elsewhere would inevitably require cargo trucks and trailers to transport goods, and therefore land must be allocated for parking.
“City authorities must consider integrated communities in their development plans where drivers, residents, business people and warehouse operators can operate successfully and contribute to national development,” he said.
The Lead for Market System Transformation at the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Secretariat, Stephen Eshun, said transporters play a key role in ensuring that goods reach their intended markets or destinations on time.
Representatives of the Ghana Shippers Authority and the National Road Safety Authority pledged their support and commitment towards the union’s development.
BY VICTOR A. BUXTON
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