Inter-city coach operators have issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government, threatening to introduce a separate “maintenance levy” for passengers if urgent steps are not taken to address the poor condition of major roads across the country.
At a joint press conference held at Nsawam on Wednesday, June 18, the operators, led by General Manager of VIP Transport, Adakabre Frimpong Manso, called on the Ministry of Roads and Highways to meet with them and provide a clear roadmap for fixing ten key highways, including the Accra-Kumasi Highway, Accra-Winneba-Cape Coast Road, Techiman-Wenchi-Sawla-Bole-Wa Road, and the Tamale-Savelugu-Bolgatanga Highway.
According to Mr. Frimpong Manso, the worsening state of roads is severely affecting their operations and putting the livelihoods and health of drivers at risk.
“In the private sector, the coach operator is given a coach and is responsible for maintaining it and repaying the investment. The escalating cost of maintenance due to deplorable road conditions is taking a toll on drivers’ income, and on their health,” he said.
He noted that while state-run vehicles are maintained by the institutions that own them, private transport operators bear the full cost of maintenance, often spending a significant portion of their earnings to keep their vehicles roadworthy.
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The transport operators are now calling on Parliament’s Select Committee on Roads and Highways – chaired by J.A. Mensah and Francis Asenso-Boakye – to intervene by engaging with the Roads Minister and facilitating dialogue with the over 5,000 inter-city coach drivers across the country.
“The drivers are calm. They only want information. They want to know when they can expect to drive safely on these roads,” Mr. Frimpong Manso stated.
Should the government fail to initiate discussions within the two-week window, the operators say they will introduce a “maintenance levy” to be paid by passengers travelling on affected road corridors – separate from the usual transport fares.
“This is not a decision we take lightly, but the cost burden can no longer be carried solely by drivers. The Ghanaian traveller will have to share in the cost of damage caused by bad roads if the state remains unresponsive,” the VIP Transport boss concluded.
The coach operators are the latest in a growing list of transport stakeholders voicing frustration over Ghana’s road infrastructure and demanding urgent state intervention.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Risa Wyettey Cofie
