The National Sand and Stone Tipper Truck Drivers Association has raised concerns over what it describes as unfair and discriminatory treatment at axle-weighing bridges across the country, blaming the situation on weak regulatory enforcement.
According to the Association, although regulations such as the Road Traffic Regulation 2012, L.I. 2180, require standard weighing procedures for sand and stone trucks, many pit sites do not have the necessary weighing equipment or scales. As a result, trucks depart without proper weight verification, leaving drivers vulnerable to arrest at weighbridges.
They argue that this systemic failure has led to drivers being stopped and penalised without justifiable cause.
Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, December 4, the Public Relations Officer of the Association, Anthony Mensah, said several petitions have been submitted to authorities over the years, but no meaningful action has been taken.
He therefore urged the Ghana Standards Authority and other relevant agencies to intervene by enforcing the appropriate standards to put an end to what the Association describes as persistent unfair treatment.
“This crisis is not the result of driver discipline alone but the failure of institutions and systems,” he stated. “For over a decade, we have raised alarms, written petitions, and offered technical solutions, yet authorities have failed to act decisively.
“We call on the Minerals Commission, the Ghana Standards Authority, DVLA, and the Roads and Highways Ministry to take full responsibility and demonstrate fairness by placing state-owned tipper trucks on the weighbridge, both loaded and unloaded, without favouritism
source:www.senaradioonline.com
