GPRTU buses assigned by the government; shared with PNP presidents – Mahama

Business news for Friday, October 2, 2020

Source: Kasapa FM

2020-10-02

Opposition NDC standard-bearer John Dramani Mahama has accused the government of diverting buses purchased for the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The 33-seater buses were purchased for the union in 2016, but members reportedly considered the cost too high to guarantee them significant profitability.

However, the NPP government under a current deal started in 2019 reportedly lowered the price of buses by 53.5 percent to make them affordable for GPRTU members.

Commenting on the matter in interaction with locals, the former president said the ruling NPP managed to create a smokescreen by appropriating the vehicles and sharing them with its members.

“The already registered buses that we insured for drivers under my government in 2016 were re-registered by the NPP government and shared with NPP presidents across the board. They removed the plate and registered again as if they had acquired it. Any bus you see in the city with the President Uno inscription is part of the fleet of buses that we purchase for the GPRTU, ”Mahama told the Okada Drivers and Passengers Association in Techimentia.

In 2019, the Microfinance and Small Loan Center (MASLOC) presented 83 buses to the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) under a lease-to-own agreement.

The government explained that the high price of the buses made it impossible for the GPRTU to acquire the vehicles for commercial operations, hence the government’s intervention.