Tema taxi drivers unhappy with metropolitan directive
Some taxi drivers in the Tema Metropolis on Monday expressed their displeasure at directives and bye-laws being formulated by some Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) concerning commercial transport operations.
The drivers told the Ghana News Agency that apart from acquiring a driver’s license, taxi operators in the Tema Metropolis had to possess a Tema Metropolitan Assembly’s (TMA) commercial license, TMA sticker, embossment, income tax, insurance, road worthiness and operational ticket.
Mr Kwame Agyin Frimpong, Station Master at the Community One Casino Cooperative Taxi Society, said the TMA commercial license which used to be between five and seven Ghana Cedis had now been increased to GH10.10 without any explanation.
Mr Frimpong said there had also been a 100 percent increment from six Ghana cedis to GHC12 during the second quarter of this year.
He also expressed their displeasure at the directives from some MMDAs to taxi drivers to annually renew their number embossment and added that the directive to ban taxi drivers from picking passengers beyond their jurisdictions was not practicable.
Mr Frimpong appealed to the government to intervene on their behalf to ensure that the MMDAs did not over burden taxi drivers,
“There is already pressure on us due to the frequent increment in petroleum products and other vehicle spare parts, coupled with poor road networks,” he said.
He said taxi drivers in the Tema Metropolis were prepared to go on a massive demonstration that would involve blocking of major roads in Tema including the motorway, should the MMDAs continue to “disturb us with unnecessary directives”.
Mr Fred K. Onomah, a taxi driver at the Sakumono/Community Two taxi rank, also reiterated the concerns expressed by his colleagues and called on the TMA to use the monies being collected from them to provide proper taxi stations for the unions.
Mr Onomah said the stations that the unions were operating from lacked places of convenience which was most inappropriate.
Mr Justice Fianoo, Chairman of the Tema Industrial Area taxi rank, urged MMDAs to properly educate drivers on every directive they formulated to avoid any misunderstanding.
Source: GNA