The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly has pledged to implement a directive to restrict the movement of tricycles within the Central Business District, prompting the Ashanti Region's tricycles operators to intensify their protests.
On Wednesday 2nd August, tricycle drivers took to the street and blocked off the main road leading to the Kejetia area, causing a huge amount of traffic and disruption to everyday life.
The protest is in retaliation to the KMA's decision to prohibit tricycles, sometimes referred to as "pragya" or "aboboyaa," from operating in Kumasi's central business district.
In an effort to reduce traffic congestion and improve pedestrian safety in the busy area, the city implemented the restriction.
Tricycle operators, who rely heavily on transporting passengers and goods in the city centre, expressed their dissatisfaction and apprehension over the prohibition. They asserted that the KMA's decision would have a negative impact on their livelihoods and result in a significant number of them losing their jobs.
The tricycle operators are requesting that the KMA review the ban and hold productive discussions with their representatives in order to come up with a workable solution that will safeguard their interests while resolving the city's traffic issues.
The roadblock blocking Kejetia's main highway caused a huge traffic jam, with commuters and drivers caught in the middle of the protest.
The police were quickly called in to contain the situation and ensure the public's safety.
Nine tricycle drivers were arrested and released on bail after an altercation with some city guards on Tuesday, August 1.
The Pragya workers' association of Ghana claims that the Assembly's justification for restricting their movement is weak.
The group's secretary, Ayamdago Amadi Dauda, declared, "When you look at the demarcation, it is now obvious that they are moving us from the Central Business District to the highways so that the cars can murder us more. Are they aiming to improve the lives of Pragya drivers or something else? And their decision to reduce congestion will put us at greater risk than this one.
On July 25, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) started putting into practice the order prohibiting tricycles from operating in Kumasi's CBD.
The move is meant to alleviate traffic congestion in the city.
The KMA has repeatedly announced its intention to restructure the city's transport services.
Tricycle riders have strongly objected to the decision, but KMA's transport department chief Randy Wilson has maintained that the assembly is still determined to implement the directive to alleviate traffic in the city.
