Many people rely on the services of drivers of digitised transportation such as Bolt, Uber, and Yango for their daily transportation.
They said without an association, most of the drivers continue to face challenges such as unpredictable income, fatigue due to long hours of driving, cost of vehicle maintenance, and safety concerns, among others, stressing that an association would empower them to achieve common goals and improve their general well-being.
The drivers told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in a random survey that they needed to push for a safer, healthier, and sustainable working environment, negotiate for better wages, and provide protection, adding that the business had gained ground and had captured most of the youth into the sector, hence the need to collectively bargain for their well-being.
Mr. Kennedy Agyarpong, a Bolt driver, said, “Bolt charges 20 percent on every trip, so most of the drivers resort to doing their trips offline; it’s not our fault; it is not easy being behind the wheels throughout the day and getting only what your family would spend without savings.”
“The owners of the cars are expecting their money without thinking of what we go through, so we are forced to work deep into the night, and that also comes with a lot of challenges; a lot of drivers have been killed while others have been severely attacked,” he further said.
Mr. Sapor Eric, an Uber driver, noted that “we need an association, but how to come together is the problem; we need help; the charges are too much; other countries came together and fought this, but in Ghana, we coming together and deciding on what to do is the major problem.”
“I think it’s about time Information Technology (IT) experts in the country develop some of these apps to fit the needs of the country because the Ghanaian youth cannot be working for the betterment of other countries,” he added.
Mr. Yaw Sekye, another bolt driver, said, “Our lives are always at risk; a colleague almost lost his life to robbers one evening. The only advantage of this over-taxi driving is that they give you customers so you don’t roam trying to get passengers and burning fuel, so the association will help. If we decide to go on strike for just a week, the owners will sit up and reduce the charges,” he said.
GNA
