Commercial drivers who are not affiliated to transport unions within the Accra Metropolis have expressed worry over frequent arrests by city guards.
The drivers, who claim their vehicles are regularly impounded by AMA guards, have threatened to drag the Assembly and its boss, Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, to the court for unlawful arrests.
According to the commercial drivers, the city authorities have refused to provide them with AMA stickers that could allow them to ply the routes within the metropolis.
The drivers claim they do not have huge sums of money required to register with transport unions. Also, they stated that the constitution permits freedom of association.
The city authorities last year ordered all commercial drivers to register their routes of operation with them after which they would be given stickers.
It appears AMA has started implementing the directive this year by forcing all commercial drivers to join transport unions.
However, commercial drivers, who do not have permanent routes on which they operate, are being denied access to the stickers while others whose stickers have expired have had their vehicles impounded by the city guards.
The agitated drivers contended that the directives by the Assembly have made life unbearable for them as they are now jobless and do not have the means to join the transport unions.
One of the drivers, who pleaded anonymity, told this paper that although the authority claims it could not issue any floating driver with a sticker, he was issued a sticker at the Assembly at a cost of GH¢60.
He added that some staff of the Assembly since Monday, January 30, have been issuing stickers at prices above GH¢60 instead of the conventional fee of GH¢5.
When City & Business Guide contacted the authorities, the Public Relations Officer of AMA, Nuumo Blafo III, explained that the Assembly had series of meetings with the commercial drivers and management of the transport unions before embarking on the exercise.
He explained that there was no justification for the drivers to refuse to join the unions.
Numo Blafo III added that since it was unlawful to force any one to join a union in the country, the Assembly had agreed to meet all commercial drivers, who are reluctant to join transport unions.
“It is in the interest of citizens within the metropolis to be protected hence the directive by the Assembly to identify all commercial drivers.”
Source: GhanaWeb
