Drivers and Agents Bares Teeth at GPHA……over delays at Transit Yard

Drivers of Haulage Trucks and some agents at the Tema Port are accusing authorities for what they described as unnecessary delays at the Transit yard.

The delays, according to Ghana Ports and Harbours Authorities (GPHA), have been occasioned by shortage of tracking devices.

The tracking device is fixed on haulage trucks which load goods from the Tema port en-route to countries like Mali, Burkina, Togo and Niger.

This enables government agencies at the port to monitor the trucks to ensure that the goods are delivered at the right destination.

However, the company being contracted by the Ghana Port and Harbours Authority to implement the tracking device policy has run out of these devices thus making over 200 trucks fully loaded with goods parked for several weeks at the Transit yard.

Speaking to the media during a visit by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Ekow Spio Garbrah and Minister of Transport, Hon Fifi Fiave Kwetey, the angry drivers and agents said the delay at the Transit Yard is affecting their business negatively.

One of the agents, Hamza Atta Bandangnya, who spoke to Oman News, said he has incurred huge loses due to the parking of the trucks carrying his goods at the yard.

Hamza Atta Bandangnya

According to him, the trucks are not supposed to stay in the yard for more than seven days adding that “once the truck stays beyond seven days it will attract what we called “demurrage” (fee).

He accused the company in charge of the fixing of the devices for practicing discrimination and favouritism in rendering their services.

“The tracking device is supposed to be fixed on every vehicle. But here is the case that some drivers will come and park their trucks here hoping that the device will be fixed on them to enable them to move, but their trucks will be here for weeks and the device will not be fixed on them. Meanwhile, the company will fixing the device on some of the trucks which came few days ago and the driver will go and come back and even get fixed again while other trucks will still be here,” Hamza Atta Bandangnya narrated.

He raised suspicion that the company may be taking bribes from drivers and some of the order and called for investigations into the issue.

Dr. Ekow Spio Garbrah

Minister for Trade and Industry Dr. Ekow Spio Garbrah, who expressed concern about the plight of the drivers, said the company had taken delivery of new devices and assured that the device would be fixed on the trucks soon to enable them to move.

Story By: Michael Creg Afful

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