Some passengers who use the Tamale/Wa road have appealed to the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to ban drivers from using plastic chairs as seats in buses.
They said the practice made them uncomfortable, is unsafe and infringed on their right to safety in the buses.
The passengers told the GNA on their arrival in Wa from Tamale on a Yutong bus last Saturday that the practice, apart from encouraging overloading and causing discomfort to passengers, also exposed those sitting on the plastic chairs to the danger of hurting themselves should they fall asleep during the journey.
They therefore appealed to the GPRTU to take measures to stop the practice in order to ensure the safety of passengers.
Mr. Nuhu Mahama, the Upper West Regional Industrial Relations Officer of GPRTU when contacted, said the practice was illegal and therefore unacceptable.
He said passenger safety was one of the priorities of GPRTU and urged passengers to take down the registration number of such buses and report to the GPRTU Secretariat for action to be taken against them.
Mr. Mahama also appealed to passengers to refuse to sit on plastic chairs when requested to do so and demand the refund of their fares.
Mr. Mohammed Abdul-Samad, the Upper West Regional Manager of the National Road Safety Commission, appealed to the GPRTU step up pre-departure checks on their vehicles and that these checks could stop the illegal practices.
He appealed to the police to check not to only vehicle documents but also inspect the interior of buses to ensure that passenger walkways are not blocked with either extra passengers or luggage.