Some commercial drivers within Accra who belong to the Ghana Committed Drivers Association, are set to embark on a strike beginning this morning, to protest against increases in insurance premium.
According to them, they are forced to take such an action because a meeting with the Transport Ministry to have their concerns addressed did not yield any positive result. The Ghana Insurance Association in June last year proposed an 800% increase in motor insurance premiums, but it was reduced to 400% following agitations by some transport unions. But the commercial drivers want a further downward reduction. In an interview with Citi News, Chairman of the Ghana Committed Drivers Association, Charles Danso, said although their action is expected to affect commuting within the city, they have no other option. He insisted that the “strike is coming on today [Monday].”
Mr. Danso said he had been to Kumasi and other places in the country “to inform the car owners and the drivers about the strike and this time there won’t be any disappointment.” “The other time the president invited us to come for negotiations but when we went there, it didn’t yield any positive results so we have to park our cars today and then let them come to the agreed price which is 240 to 260 percent,” he added.
He also noted that several meetings with the Ministry of Transport and the National Insurance Commission has also not yielded any positive result. “We will not listen to anyone until the reduction takes effect. Nobody can convince us to go to work, we won’t do it,” he added.
By: Godwin A. Alllotey