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AMA to enforce dress code for taxi
drivers
Accra, Nov. 27, Ghanadot/GNA- The Accra Metropolitan
Assembly (AMA) on Tuesday expressed its readiness to rigidly
enforce Taxi Drivers Uniform code with effect from December
15, this year.
Taxi drivers are to wear light blue shirt and pair of
blue-black pair of trousers in the metropolis.
Mr. Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson, Mayor of Accra said the
directive was in line with Section 75 and 76 of AMA
Legislative Instrument 15 and 16 which empowered the
assembly to regulate and co-ordinate all commercial
transport activities in the metropolis.
Speaking at a meeting with members of the Ghana Road
Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC) on the enforcement of
the directives on the embossment of numbers on taxis and
wearing of uniforms by taxi drivers, Mr. Blankson said
arrangements were far advanced for the arrest and
prosecution of taxi drivers who failed to wear the uniform.
"The MTTU of the Ghana Police Service and the assembly's own
metro guards would be deployed at vantage points throughout
the city to enforce the law," he added.During the last
quarter of 2006, the AMA mooted the idea of providing
identification numbers and wearing of uniform by taxi
drivers.
This however, received reaction from two drivers who
proceeded with a court action. Later the AMA signed a
memorandum of understanding with the GRTCC, which accepted
that drivers should wear light blue shirt and blue-black
trousers.
Urging the drivers to cooperate with the assembly in the
exercise, Mr. Blankson said taxi drivers could print
complimentary cards, learn to be cautious and let passengers
trust their knowledge of the city’s routes
and tourism sites as ways of accepting the new challenge of
the new breed of taxis drivers.
The Mayor urged drivers to consider hygiene as one of their
priorities, adding; "Tourism in the country should take a
new dimension."
Mr. Mathew Hayford, Acting General Secretary, GRTCC said the
council had no objection to AMA's directive, adding that,
they have educated its members on the exercise and that it
was time for drivers to portray the image of the country.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr. Daniel Julius
Avoka, in-charge of the Motor Transport Traffic Unit (MTTU)
said the idea of putting on uniform was not
a bad one, saying it would bring about discipline and easy
identification in terms of security.
According to him, it was a good step taken towards CAN 2008.
ACP Avoka told the drivers it was an offence for them to
drive, while wearing singlets and that amounted to indecent
exposure.
"We hope we are not going to drag people to court over this
issue," he added.
ACP Avoka said the Police would continue to enforce road
traffic regulations to maintain law and order.
GNA
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