The Commercial Drivers Association Greater Accra wishes to bring to your attention the Hardships that the incompetent administration of N.D.C has brought to bear on Commercial Drivers over for the past (4) four years that they assumed office.
We the Commercial drivers voted massively for the N.D.C during the 2008 election with the conviction that things will change for the better under the Attah Mills –Mahama administration. Indeed they made a lot of promises, including REDUCTION OF PRICE OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS drastically; FREE SCHOOL UNIFORMS for our children and access to bank loans to enable us drive our own cars, among other unfulfilled promises.
FAILED &UNFULFILLED PROMISES
The Government of the N.D.C during the Electioneering Campaign in 2008 promised to reduce the prices of fuel drastically, but what do we see, it has rather gone up drastically.
Ghanaian now pays GH¢8.00 instead of GH¢6.55 for a gallon of premium; GH¢8.00 instead of GH¢5.96 for diesel and GH¢3.68 for a gallon of kerosene. We are reliably informed that the Mills - Mahama Government has added a hidden tax of GhC1.00 per gallon without parliamentary approval and monies accrued from this illegal tax have been lodged in “SPECIAL ACCOUNTS”. Kweku Kwarten took the matter to court and the court ordered payment into the consolidated account, which has not been done. Is this money which is being used for NDC campaign? Or building luxurious fuel stations or buying houses and cars? We want to know.
ROAD TOLLS
The N.D.C governments have increased ROAD TOLLS over 1000% and despite the astronomical increment in road tolls by the ruling N.D.C government, no significant improvement have been seen on our roads. We continue to see a lot of pot holes on our roads, Traffic lights are not functioning properly and almost all of our street lights have gone off.
Today a driver who plies from KASOA to ACCRA and its environment pays a toll of (GH¢10.00) that is (¢100,000.00) in old Cedis a day (GH¢300.00) that is ¢3million old Cedis a month and (GH¢3,600.00) that is ¢36 million a year. So by our calculation a driver who plies from Kasoa to Accra and its environs have paid at least (GH¢14,400.00): (¢144,000,000.00) old Cedissince N.D.C took power.
The driver contributes a lot to the government of N.D.C but cannot afford to pay for a single room and this has led most drivers sleeping in their cars and car parks.
GAS SHORTAGES
Since the N.D.C government took power there has not been a regular supply of Gas in the system for ever one week (1 week). But during the reign of President Kuffuor there was regular supply of Gas in the system to the extent that you could hear:
GAS FOℶ NO ABA OOO
GAS BIε EBA EEE EI
GAS Tℶ OVAR LOOO
MA SO GAS SON SO
Today everything about driving has gone up
ROADWORTHY has gone up
INSURANCE has gone up
INCOME TAX has also gone up
A.M.A has gone up. RENEWAL OF LICENCE has gone up
SPARE PARTS has gone up
LUBRICANTS has gone up
A 185/70R 14 used tyre which was being sold in 2008 at the cost of (¢150,000.00) is now sold at (¢500,000.00)
BANKS
Because of the BAD GOVERNANCE of the N.D.C the Banks have turned drivers into slaves. When they buy a (¢100,000,000.00) car for you, in two years you pay a hundred (100%) interest on your car. The most serious part is that the maintenance cost is done by you the driver, which in total at the end of the two years you would have paid (¢350,000,000.00) on your car. How can a driver survive under this suppressive government? And pay his children’s school fees and hospital bills, how can drivers feed his family. No wonder drivers sleep in their cars and lorry parks. So all the commercial drivers in greater Accra and beyond are throwing their support for Nana Addo’s free S.H.S. and vote massively for Nana Addo and N.P.P. to come to power come 7th December 2012.
CONCLUSION
It is time the political parties’ took drivers SERIOUSLY. Now we are sounding a warning to the Mahama led NDC government that they can’t take (drivers) for granted and that we drivers can make or unmake GOVERNMENTS.
Thank You
Ladies and Gentlemen
Source: GREATER ACCRA DRIVERS
