Taxi drivers in the metropolis, a few days ago, gathered in front of Peace FM, to register their displeasure of new by-laws that has been implemented by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and other stakeholders.
According to the taxi drivers, the AMA and its affiliates are frustrating their efforts to put food on the table with persistent harassment and calls for them to join a particular lorry station or transport union.
They insist the directive is not feasible and have decided to take it further by staying in the house on Monday, 7th October; in a way of protesting.
But in an interview on Wednesday�s edition of �Kokrokoo� on Peace FM, Public Relations Officer for Urban Transport, Mr Kojo Antwi said the Taxi drivers has got it �all wrong�.
He said �there is an LI 21:8; road traffic act which indicates that before you can operate a road transport services, you must belong to an entity. To be able to plan with public transport operators; it's difficult because they are so many. The assembly must have a database and so all that we are calling for is for them to come to the assembly and regularize their activity to be given a permit to confirm that you are the operator of this corridor or route.�
According to him, the granting of the permit to operate in a certain route does not mean that the taxi drivers cannot operate in another location.
He also added that with the route registration exercise, activities of the drivers can be regulated and in cases where passengers leaves items in the cars (taxi), the items can be retrieved when reported.
The by-law which was passed in 2010 has already started taking effect and according to Mr Antwi, much education had already been made; but the taxi drivers are proving difficult.
��they just don�t want to accept the law. If you are operating without belonging to an entity, or from unapproved route, you don�t have the appropriate or relevant permit and you have not regularized your route through the assembly, it is an illegality. We just want to see the route you are operating; it is a route registration exercise and not station registration; you can operate wherever� he noted.
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