Drivers
demonstrate against permit under Urban Transport Project
Kumasi, June 5, Ghanadot/GNA
- Members of Ashanti Regional Secretariat of Ghana Private
Road Transport Union (GPRTU) on Thursday demonstrated
against the introduction of Route Operational Permits (ROP)
by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) under the Urban
Transport Project (UTP).
The demonstrators mostly urvan and taxi drivers marched
through some principal streets in Kumasi, wearing red arm
and head bands and chanting war songs carried placards some
of which read, “We are tired of the KMA”, “ROP is a killer
policy”, “Urban Passenger Transport is not a solution to
congestion” and “Where do you want us to make livelihood”.
They later converged at the Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating
Council (ARCC) and presented a petition to Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu,
Ashanti Regional Minister.
Last week, the Urban Roads Department of Ministry of
Transport and KMA announced that with effect from July 2009,
ROP under which taxis and intra-city buses would apply for
permits to improve urban mobility as the first phase of the
UTP.
Under ROP each commercial driver would apply for a specific
route to ply for a year subject to renewal and there would
be reserved lanes for drivers issued with the permits to
reduce traffic congestion in the metropolis.
In addition, an Urban Passenger Transport (UPT) under which
only big buses would operate is to be established and
strengthened to serve as an alternative means of transport
within the metropolis.
The UTP that seeks to improve urban mobility is currently
being implemented by 10 metropolitan and municipal
assemblies that have already enacted by-laws to regulate
urban passenger transport services.
Mr Issah Musah Khaleepha, Principal Industrial Relations
Officer of the union speaking to Ghana News Agency in
Kumasi, said: “We have no qualms on efforts to reduce
congestion in the metropolis but are sceptical about the
issuance of permits.”
He said traffic congestion and spatial problems could be
addressed and managed effectively when the causes were
ascertained, analysed and tackled holistically because the
approach being adopted under the UTP could not address and
manage the incidence of motor and human congestion
effectively.
Mr Khaleepha explained that problems of traffic congestion
in the metropolis were due to the high rate of rural-urban
migration, poor city planning, haphazard and disorderly
placements of make-shift shops, lack of political will to
decongest and move hawkers from the streets, as well as lack
of parking lots for shoppers and shop owners who park their
cars on the streets and pavements.
“The GPRTU is not against ROP but its implementation in the
wake of prevailing conditions, the KMA should therefore work
hard to improve and extend the road networks in the
metropolis to make up for the UPT and other commercial
vehicles, “ he said.
“The KMA should also check encroachments on sub-urban link
roads and provide more terminal and taxi ranks,” he added.
Mr Opoku-Manu, commended the demonstrators for the peaceful
manner they organised the demonstration and promised that
their grievances would be addressed by stakeholders.
GNA
