The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has maintained that it will not rescind its decision to restrict the movement of tricycles in parts of the Kumasi metropolis.
Although the Assembly says it will hold further deliberations with the leadership of tricycle operators on the matter, the aim of the directive cannot be overlooked.
City authorities have had a hectic time enforcing a directive to restrict the movement of tricycles in certain parts of the Central Business District in the past few days.
Angry tricycle operators escalated their protest against the directive and on Wednesday blocked major roads to resist the ban.
Speaking after a meeting with the leadership of tricycle operators and some transport unions, the head of the transport department at the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Randy Wilson, asked the tricycle operators to submit their concerns on paper for further deliberations.
“Based on discussions that have gone on today, we are hoping that the leadership of the tricycle association will go and speak with their members that they obey the rules that have been set. When they obey the rules and there are any infringements, anything that goes against their operations, they can write it down on paper and bring it to the assembly.”
“The mayor is there, the coordinating director is there. If they think the issues are not properly dealt with, they can send the letter to the complaints committee, and the complaints committee will sit on it. After that, we know that the general assembly will also look at the situation and take further decisions on it, but the first thing is for my brothers to obey the rule that has been set,” he stated.
The leadership of the Tricycle Operators, however, is reluctant to accept the Assembly’s offer and insists that the restriction of their operations is not the way to go.
Dauda Amadi Ayamdago, Secretary of the Pragya Workers Association of Ghana, said, “We have heard them right, but what we are not comfortable with is that they are asking us to accept the ban, and if there are any grievances, we can serve them a letter or meet them and discuss the issues.”
“But the moment we accept that demarcation or boundary they are setting, it means we have obeyed them like that. It will not happen, and it will not benefit us. It means we are not going to operate any longer. So it is more or less they are banning tricycles in the CBD rather than us accepting the ban directive. We will go and consult our members, but they should reduce the boundaries,” he said.
ASHANTIBIZ
