NDC GURU RAISES RED FLAG · Over Private Garages

Story: Christine Kumassah

Mr. Simon Awadzi, Member of Media Analyst Group of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has raised red flag about the privatization of garages at Driver Vehicle and License Authority (DVLA).

Mr. Awadzi said it was a fight for the poor people of this country who engage in commercial transport business, like trotro and taxi drivers since cars are to undergo mechanical testing to detect for road worthiness.

He pointed out that most accidents on roads are not caused by conditions of vehicle but attitudinal, “getting rid of vehicles from roads will not stop accidents on our road”.

Mr. Awadzi noted that the best thing to do is to allow government to continue constructing good roads adding that “if the roads are properly fixed, then the vehicles can be flagged off”.

However, he noted, when the NPP was in power, it was called off because the NPP knew it was a political disadvantage.

 “All the garages belong to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) gurus, so they are now fighting their way through and making sure poor drivers and vehicle owners cry foul and vote against the sitting government.” He added

He urged the government to deal with the issue very well to ensure the rights of the people are not trampled upon. He stressed that measures to be taken to reduce road accidents should be considered before venturing into mechanical testing to flag off vehicles.

Mr. Awadzi pointed out that “An estimated four million people are commercial drivers and car dealers in Ghana. Also an estimated ten million people depend on these commercial drivers and car dealers for daily bread excluding families and friends.

“Citing an example of an estimated population of 27 million people with an unemployment rate of 65-70%, it will be disastrous for an additional four million people to be added to the fray of unemployment if their cars are flagged off the road; this will increases unemployment rate to an estimated 80%.”

Comparing Ghana with the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK) or economies of developed countries, he expressed regrettably that is a way of trying to ‘copy blindly’ from these countries.

 He emphasized that if the NDC does not take precautionary measures, it will be difficult to win the coming election in 2012.

He advised that “we should wise up to kick against or put on hold such practices because they are making life terrible for others”.

He acknowledged that despite the downward trend of inflation, school fees have gone up and prices of other commodities are rising inconspicuously .He pointed  out that the idea was initiated by the former administration to amass wealth for themselves without thinking about the nation.