Accra, Ghana//-The Coalition of Commercial Transport Owners has stayed true to its words and withdrawn its services until government scraps some taxes on fuel to enable reduction at the pumps.
The Coalition earlier threatened to embark on an indefinite strike action scrap on Monday, December 6, till government scraps off taxes like the Price Stabilization and Recovery Levy, Special Petroleum Tax, the Energy Recovery Debt Levy and the Sanitation levy.
Drivers at Ablekuma, clad in red armbands have hit the streets to register their displeasure with the government.
Reports reaching JoyNews on the severity of the matter reveal that no commercial vehicle is allowed to work at Ashaiman. Drivers who dare defy the directive issued by the Coalition are compelled to alight their passengers or risk having their vehicles immobilised.
Some commuters after several failed attempts to secure a public transport say they are left with no other alternative than to stay off work for today.
However, a few benevolent citizens with private vehicles are offering lifts to ease the situation.
The coalition of private transport operators consists of Ghana Private Road and Transport Union (GPRTU), Association of Tipper Truck Drivers, Harbor Transport Owners, Ghana National Cargo Transport Association, Ghana Committed Drivers Association, Concerned Drivers Association, Digital Drivers, Commercial motorbike riders, popularly referred to as Okada, the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers among others.
According to the Coalition, the government for the past two weeks has failed to heed their calls for some taxes to be scrapped off.
Speaking to JoyNews, the group’s spokesperson, Abass Imoro noted that the government must find a lasting solution to the hikes in fuel prices.
“We started this crusade for about two weeks now, we have applied all humble measures to this. Each time we come out with our program, government authority steps in, oh wait, give us time then we will reverse whatever decision we have taken. Not once, not twice but thrice or four times hence our people started accusing us that we are not good leaders.”
“Looking at the current economy in which we are, we researched and find out that there is a way out. There are some taxes and levies and margins that can be scrapped out which will reduce the pump price for all of us to alleviate us from the current suffering,” he added.
