The move, which would be done by the Ministry of Transport in collaboration with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), would enable Ghana to obtain a comprehensive inventory of vehicles and to ensure that the right fuels were sourced to fuel them and to save the environment from being polluted by vehicular emissions.

The re-registration exercise has become necessary because, currently in the country, there is no accurate inventory on the kind of vehicles plying our roads in spite of the fact that road transport continued to be the dominant mode of transportation, accounting for over 95 per cent of all domestic transport mode.

Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, Minister of Transport who announced this in Accra in a speech read on his behalf, said the Ministry was collaborating with other sector Ministries including; the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, as well as the Ministry of Energy and other agencies.

It would ensure that the transport sector becomes efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.

Mr Asiamah was speaking at a day’s workshop on Vehicle Inventory and Policy Options for Fuel Economy Standards in Ghana.

The Workshop organised by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the UN Environment, and other local partners at Amasaman, near Accra, was meant to disseminate the Vehicle Inventory report and to share Results of Policy Strategies for implementing Fuel Economy Standards in Ghana.

Fuel Economy is the relationship between the distance travelled and the amount of fuel consumed and that was dependant on a number of factors including; the engine size, traffic conditions and the nature of the fuel, Mr Asiamah explained.

He said currently, Ghana had no specific fuel economy policy or regulations, but there were few policies that related to fuel economy which included; import taxation, vehicle valuation, fuel quality, and over-aged penalty among others.

He said it was worrying that current fiscal regime and customs directive made it cheaper to import used vehicles than new and efficient ones, while the less quality of fuels in the country do not also support the introduction of a more efficient vehicles into the Ghanaian market.

“These are issues that should be further considered in the development of the policy options so that we are able to come out with a document that is workable and will yield results”, he told the stakeholders attending the workshop.

He urged the participants to consider options that were available to reform the custom directives to attract the import of energy efficient and clean vehicles, such as electric and hybrid vehicles, and also discuss what fiscal measures could be employed to incentivised efficient technologies and discourage inefficient ones.

He expressed hope that the outcome of the workshop would be very informative to the on-going review of the National Transport Policy, which was in its finalisation stage.

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Source: Graphic.com.gh

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According to him, the advent of Uber and other taxi-hailing companies presents tough competition that puts traditional taxi businesses at risk, particularly if they fail to embrace technology.

[contextly_sidebar id=”7WqYy7rkau5vZ9FOBR1PgiKzMIj1LqKb”]Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, Titus-Glover said local assemblies could develop a system that will ensure proper log of commercial drivers in the area is kept with each driver being easily traceable by passengers they pick.

Such a system, similar to the ones used by ride-hailing companies like Uber would ensure the safety of potential clients, making the taxis more convenient options for them.

“The distinction is the technological challenge…The local assemblies must take up the challenge. The assemblies must up their game so that they be able to track all these vehicles commercial taxi drivers within the jurisdiction of these assemblies. Uber has come with a competition, but what are they doing,” he said.

He emphasized that the Ministry was determined to ensure that, relevant policies to regulate the larger transport industry are introduced.

He, therefore, called on the various local assemblies to take charge of processes to ensure that commercial drivers are able to match the competition presented by Uber and other taxi-hailing companies.

“The assemblies must sit down so that all these taxi drivers that are operating within these assemblies, they should be able to get the application, and the drivers be taken through some training. This is where we have reached, in this era, we are going with technology, therefore, the assemblies must take up the challenge,” he said.

Taxi drivers agitated

Local commercial drivers in the country’s capital, Accra are protesting over the operations of Uber in the country.

They claim that the operation of Uber is negatively impacting on their business.

In their complaint to the Ministry of Transport, they, among other things, proposed the imposition of commercial vehicle operation taxes on Uber drivers and the branding of Uber vehicles as commercial taxis.

But the Transport Ministry has not considered their proposals.

At a recent meeting between the three stakeholders, the Ministry ordered Uber to present data on the number of vehicles on the platform among other information to ensure transparency in their operation.

Many Ghanaians have rallied against the taxi drivers following their action, accusing them of being responsible for the success of Uber’s operations in the country due to their poor services.

However, the taxi drivers operating under the Ghana Private Road Transport Union [GPRTU], have said they are not scared of competition from Uber.

The Vice Chairman of GPRTU, Robert Saba in a Citi News interview said, “We believe in competition, we do not fear competition. We’ve been in existence several years for now so we do not fear competition, but the right thing must be done…We don’t have that platform but we can create that platform.”

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to the Union, per the current laws, Uber’s vehicles are operating illegally in Ghana because they are breaching some requirements of the Road Traffic Regulation 2012, L.I 2180.

There were reports on social media over the weekend that the Ministry of Transport had directed Uber to ensure all its drivers brand their cars like taxis. 

This, however, turned out to be false as the Ministry denied such reports.

[contextly_sidebar id=”QcF9Qs7lGgBt3agFZDLfiCPvKqtLmLbM”]The Transport Ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Gloria Holm-Graves, told Citi News that the said meeting was not conclusive.

“The meeting wasn’t conclusive because it is an ongoing process. We are listening to some of the laws and all that. The commercial drivers were raising all those things; about what is required for one to operate as a taxi service in the country, all the regulations that are available that one is expected to fulfill, and all of that.”

But speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, Vice Chairman of GPRTU, Robert Saba, who said they are not scared of the competition posed by Uber, insisted that they are only fighting for fairness.

According to him, per Ghana’s traffic regulations, taxis must have some of their parts painted with yellow colours as well as have a section indicating the number of passengers the taxi could take, information about the owner of the taxi among other things, adding that because Uber taxis do not have such information; they are currently, what he termed, “invisible.”

He also insisted that because taxi drivers pay tax and other levies to the state, Uber drivers must do same.

“We believe in competition, we do not fear competition. We’ve been in existence several years for now so we do not fear competition but the right thing must be done.”

“What I’m saying is that they [Uber], are operating like taxis but they do not pay the fees which taxis are paying. For instance, the wings of Uber vehicles must be painted yellow in accordance with section 130 of the L.I. You cannot use private vehicles for commercial purposes. That is also an offence. We pay fees to District Assemblies to emboss our vehicles, do they do that? They do not so all these expenses are not taken into consideration by them, so if they reduce their fares, that is good enough.”

Police must arrest Uber vehicles

Further arguing why he believes Uber vehicles should be painted with taxi colours, the GPRTU Vice Chairman said that should be the case “because Uber’s operation is equal to that of a taxi.”

He also insisted that drivers of Uber vehicles should be arrested by the Police because they are flouting the traffic regulations.

“The police should be arresting them, but they are failing to do that. The district assemblies are also part,” he added.

About Uber App

Uber Technologies Inc. is a global taxi technology company headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States, operating in over 630 cities worldwide and has a platform with an embedded GPS system which is also mobile friendly and connects passengers to taxi services at an affordable rate.

In Ghana, Uber is present in the national capital Accra, and the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi.

Hundreds of drivers have jumped onto the platform to make a living either on full-time or part-time basis.

In recent times, there had been arguments about whether Uber was a transport company or a technology service provider.

We can create an App like Uber – GPRTU

According to the GPRTU Vice Chairman although they do not have such a platform or APP used by Uber, they could also create one to enhance their services.

“We don’t have that platform but we can create that platform. We can do that. But I’m saying that their operations are not in accordance with road traffic regulations that are what we have to tackle for now.”

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The General Secretary of the Commercial Taxi Drivers Association of Ghana, Steven Nimo, was reported to have said the decision was reached at a stakeholder meeting on Wednesday.

[contextly_sidebar id=”VWVAAqWMyOS240aQllkz3mmcHUzLJe5p”]But the Transport Ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Gloria Holm-Graves, confirmed to Citi News that the said meeting was inconclusive on the matter.

The Ministry is coordinating talks between the Commercial Taxi Drivers Association in Ghana, Uber, and other stakeholders.

Taxi drivers have consistently voiced their displeasure with the operations of Uber drivers, who they say are taking their passengers whilst violating laws of Ghana, specifically LI 2180 regulation 130.

The taxi drivers are, among other things, concerned with the fact Uber drivers are exempt from the payment of the Vehicle Insurance Tax every quarter.

“They [the taxi drivers] are paying VIT [Vehicle Insurance Tax] every quarter. They are paying the DVLA [for road worthiness] two times a year. They are paying certain levies to the assembly for embossment,” Mrs. Holm-Graves noted.

“The meeting wasn’t conclusive because it is an ongoing process. We are listening to some of the laws and all that. The commercial drivers were raising all those things; about what is required for one to operate as a taxi service in the country, all the regulations that are available that one is expected to fulfill, and all of that.”

The taxi drivers are seeking a more level playing field with their agitations over the past year, and the Transport Ministry looking to determine if Uber drivers fall under the umbrella of taxi services.

According to Mrs. Holm-Graves, the Commercial Taxi Drivers Association said it was happy with the ongoing talks, and she assured them that they will “certainly arrive at an acceptable resolution where all those who are not compliant to certain conditions or regulations will become compliant.”

She however stated that no definite assurance was made to the Association that would have necessitated the erroneous reports attributed to the Transport Ministry.

“Since it is a process, we are still dialoguing. We haven’t concluded yet. We haven’t concluded as of now that Uber is a taxi service or whatever. We asked them to bring all their documents, we are going to study them and then we’ll see,” Mrs. Holm-Graves said.

Since Uber was launched in 2009, it has been at the centre of regulator disputes in different countries, and has at times been forced to change its business model as a result.

The European Court of Justice recently ruled that Uber was officially a transport company and not a digital service.

The ride-hailing firm argued that it was an information society service helping people to make contact with each other electronically and not a cab firm.

In Ghana, Uber is present in Accra and Kumasi and hundreds of drivers have jumped onto the platform to make a living either on a full-time or part-time basis.

The furore surrounding Uber’s operations has been noted as an example of how regulators are struggling to make sense of the phenomenon known as the gig economy.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Speaking on Eyewitness News after government had stopped the unapproved payment, Mr. Agbodza said the Transport Ministry must immediately set up a committee to probe the matter and punish those who took that decision.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Ya5j1V865MK1DCuZ9PTnCtyTMmkPXQv0″]“Who actually at the DVLA decided that in the name of this country called Ghana, drivers should be charged GHc 108 for First Aid Kits? The Ministry [should] quickly set up a committee, identify this individual or individuals, sanction them appropriately and give refunds to those whose refunds have been taken illegally.”

“Ghanaians are not going to take this apology and go home and say that is the end of it. I am not satisfied on that front. I am only satisfied that the Minister and his colleagues took that decision by listening to Ghanaians and saying that the charge was illegal,” the MP said.

Mr. Agbodza’s call came after the Deputy Minister of Transport, Titus Glover, said his outfit was not aware of the charges, and added the DVLA needed to have engaged its stakeholders properly before introducing the policy.

Titus Glover also said drivers who had been charged could have their monies refunded.

But Mr. Agbodza insisted that, a number of key questions remained unanswered hence the call for a probe.

“If the board is not aware and the Ministry is not aware, when the money is paid, is it paid to an individual? Is it paid to the DVLA account… is the board saying that they wake up to get GHc 100,000 in their account and they are not going to ask; how did this money come into our accounts? There is a lot we need to find out.”

According to him, the Transport Ministry also needed to be very concerned with the development.

“The Minister and the board need to be very scared of the possibility of some employees of government at DVLA capable of taking this kind of decision that is so sweeping to take money from the people of Ghana,” the MP stated.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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This follows a directive by the board of DVLA that halted the implementation, after the Transport Ministry said the DVLA acted arbitrarily in implementing the policy.

[contextly_sidebar id=”cpPmctu3Zp9LT5u291FrZVHYyFAikZEc”]Speaking on Eyewitness News,  a Deputy Transport Minister, Titus Glover, said potential claims should be “looked at case by case,” whilst reiterating his earlier assertion that the situation was totally unacceptable.

“They should make an application. So long as the board has instructed that they should stop it entirely. It should be looked at on a case by case [basis], and if you make the application, why not,” the deputy Minister stated.

The DVLA halted the charges on the instructions of the Ministry of Transport.

The Ministry said that stakeholders involved were not properly engaged ahead of the policy’s implementation.

The DVLA  introduced the compulsory charge of GHc 108 for the acquisition of the kits for new vehicle owners seeking to register their vehicles.

The charge was met with stiff opposition from vehicle owners, who argued that they reserved the right to purchase such items by themselves at a cheaper cost.

Minority MP calls for probe

Meanwhile, the Minority Spokesperson on Roads and Highways, Kwame Agbodza, has told Citi News the Transport Ministry must immediately set up a committee to probe the matter.

“Who actually at the DVLA decided that in the name of this country called Ghana, drivers should be charged GHc 108 for First Aid Kits? The Ministry [should] quickly set up a committee, identify this individual or individuals and sanction them appropriately.”

“Ghanaians are not going to take this apology and go home and say that is the end of it,” Mr. Agbodza stated emphatically.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Deputy Transport Minister, Titus Glover, told Citi News that the DVLA has been communicated to in that regard.

The DVLA failed to duly inform both the board and the Ministry before going ahead with the implementation, according to Mr. Glover.

The DVLA this week introduced the compulsory charge of Ghc108 for the acquisition of First Aid Kits for new vehicle owners seeking to register their vehicles.

This decision has been met with stiff opposition from vehicle owners, who argue that they reserve the right to purchase such items by themselves at a cheaper cost.

The Minority in Parliament subsequently registered its opposition to the charges, and called for it to be halted.

Speaking to Citi News, Deputy Minister of Transport, Nii Kwartei Titus Glover, said the DVLA needed to have engaged its stakeholders properly before introducing the policy.

“Let me put it on record that the Ministry of Transport is not aware of the sale, because if there should be any major decision, the management needs to discuss with the board of DVLA, and it’s also on record that the board is not aware of the sale. So we were all taken unawares when this issue came up, so what we intend doing, is to invite the Chief Executive of the DVLA and his team to the Ministry. The choice is on the driver, they have to walk into any shop and buy their own First Aid Kits. If the drivers in my constituency want to use any First Aid Box they can walk into Community One and just grab one and pay for it.”

“You must have the right to express yourself on the price, but where you force it down the throat of the drivers; they can resist it because first of all, there has not been any proper engagement and this is a New Year. They have to halt it because this is a national security matter. If the drivers decide to lay down their tools, it will become a problem for all of us” he lamented.

The DVLA had early on defended the decision to charge vehicle owners for the provision of First Aid boxes.

Speaking to Citi News’ Philip Nii Lartey, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the DVLA, Francis Asamoah Tuffour, said the introduction of the levy was necessary to ensure the safety of road users.

“Research that we’ve conducted indicates that, about half of the vehicles we have in the country don’t have First Aid Kits. The slogan of DVLA is ‘Your safety is our concern.’ As an institution, we need to raise revenue for the state, but the safety of the drivers and occupants of the vehicle is our hallmark. So we are saying that we want to introduce this system so that the First Aid Kits will be in your vehicle so that in the event there’s a cut or accident or a minor injury, you can treat yourself before going to the hospital,” he said.

He denied suggestions that the charge was introduced by the DVLA to fleece the drivers in order to raise revenue for the Authority

“It is not a deliberate attempt to introduce the system to take money. The DVLA is not an institution that is so poor. We are thinking about the safety of drivers. There have been instances where accidents have been recorded and there’s no First Aid kit available. It’s worrying and as a country, we have to look at it. Things are changing and we have to move alongside,” he said.

‘More than just a First Aid Kit’

Francis Asamoah Tuffour also clarified that the amounts being charged covered not only the First Aid Kit but other items as well.

“All the components are factored into the amount and not just the First Aid Kit. There are about three or four items, the kit, the license pack and some others.”

He also insisted that there had been announcements of the new charge in the media prior to its implementation, dismissing claims that it had been sprung on the public.

“Once you go through the registration system, that’s where you pay for it. The whole thing started on Tuesday so for those who are saying they have no idea, they have to come again. Those who came on Tuesday attested to the fact that they paid. That notwithstanding, if they aren’t aware, it’s something that has been introduced, not for our sake but for their own safety,” he added.

“Prior to this, sometime last year, we had some media announcements with respect to this. The fact that they have not heard doesn’t mean that they are unaware of the system. Even if they are, they should just embrace the system for their own sake.”

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By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie & Philip Nii Lartey /citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The meeting which is aimed at deliberating on the way forward on how to remove broken down vehicles on the road has been slated for September 7, 2017.

A public notice issued by the Ministry of Information said the meeting will be held at the Office of the Senior Minister located at the Office of the President Annex, near the Passport Office in Accra.

[contextly_sidebar id=”0pAyfYwg8Ty87FwnZslqJ8IA9oT9GIuL”]The statement said: “In line with government’s efforts to remove the hazard of broken down/disabled vehicles on our roads, the Ministry of Transport invites all companies engaged in towing services to a meeting as follows: Thursday 7^th September, 2017. Time: 3pm. Venue: Office of the Senior Minister. Office of the President Annex. Near the Passport Office, Accra.”

Background

Statistics from the Road Safety Commission revealed that broken down vehicles accounted for a huge number of accidents on Ghanaian roads.

Following this revelation, the government of Ghana approved a nationwide towing programme in 2012, but it was to take effect on July 2017.

Commercial vehicles and taxes were to pay GH¢40, mini buses were to pay GH¢80, while heavy duty trucks were to pay between GH¢80 and GH¢200 annually, depending on their tonnage, and have the Road Safety Management Services Limited (RSMSL) tow their vehicles anytime it breaks down on the road.

Non-commercial vehicles were expected to pay GH¢20.

But most Ghanaians kicked against the levy claiming it was a total rip-off, and that individuals must be made to pay for broken down vehicles to be towed, rather than a mandatory levy across board.

Others also questioned why the contract was given to one company for the next twenty years.

Following the massive public uproar, the Akufo-Addo government halted the implementation of the policy.

A statement signed by the Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, explained that government took the decision after “extensive consultations between the Minister of Transport and stakeholders in the transport sector.”

It however served notice there was going to be further consultations on the best way to deal with the challenge of broken down vehicles going forward.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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“No decision has been taken yet on the commencement of the towing services,” a statement from the Transport Ministry and dated August 4, 2017 stated.

The Transport Ministry also said it is holding consultations with various stakeholders including the Parliamentary Select Committee on roads and transport on the way forward.

[contextly_sidebar id=”aqXD0T8mWgAS9PO94BLyJDiQ3iXxeKeA”]The Ministry in the statement further stated that the views of all stakeholders will be considered to enable it make informed decision on the matter.

“Thereafter, the Ministry’s decision will be communicated to the general public,” the statement added.

Tow levy a total rip-off?

The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has severely criticized for trying to introduce a nationwide towing programme, to ensure that all vehicles that breakdown on highways are cleared off the roads.

For this reason, drivers were required to pay a road safety fee ranging between GHC 10 and GHC 200 in addition to their road worthy certification fees.

But several persons, pressure groups and civil society organizations kicked against the policy calling on government to scrap it immediately.

Parliamentary committee recommendation

But the Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament has recommended that government implement the mandatory tow tax.

Chairman of the Road and Transport Committee of Parliament and Member of Parliament for Ayensuano, Samuel Ayepaye, further urged the sector ministry to intensify its sensitization activities before the programme is rolled out.

Mr. Ayepaye said the Ministry did not do enough “in terms of education and sensitization before they rolled out the project so we have given them up to the end of August to intensify their campaign and get the project implemented.”

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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