A move by city authorities to ban the operations of tricycle taxis within the central business district of Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital, was met with fierce resistance in August, 2023.
For three consecutive days, the operators clashed with police officers and Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) guards who were deployed to enforce the restriction directives. Roads were blocked and properties destroyed by the protestors who were kicking against the ban.
Twelve of the protestors were arrested on August 8, processed for the Akropong circuit court the next day, and remanded in police custody for a week for unlawful destruction of properties.
Why the ban?
The disregard for traffic regulations and the intense congestion tricycle taxis cause is one of the reasons why city authorities took a decision to restrict their movement in the suburbs like Adum, Kejetia, and Dr Mensah.
Head of Transport at KMA, Randy Wilson noted, “the move is to sanitize the central business district.”
“The road traffic regulations (LI 2180) in Ghana even forbid the use of motorbikes or tricycle to offer fare-paying passenger services, but considering the high rate of youth unemployment, we do not want to be insensitive by banning their operations in the city, totally. We are just restricting their movement as part of our transport re-organization strategy”, Mr Wilson added.
Influx of tricycles in Kumasi
In Kumasi, they are ‘kings’ of the road, available in every corner and responsible for moving people from one part of the city to another for a fee.
It is hated by some and adored as a functional means of transport by others.
Tricycle taxi has not only created job opportunities for thousands but has also made the mode of transport easier and more affordable.
Operators’ plea
For the operators, banning them from entering the business centres will put most of them out of business.
“More than 70% of the over 10,000 riders conduct their commercial activities within the restricted zones. So, banning all of them from operating in the CBD will collapse the business. At least, authorities should issue operating stickers to some of the riders and regulate our activities rather than restricting all of us from working here,” Ashanti regional PRO of Tricycle Operators Association, Al-Azbat Alhassan Sidi argued.
Effectiveness of enforcement of the ban
More than a month after the enforcement, there appears to be some success.
A walk through Adum, Kejetia, and Dr Mensah paints a picture of full compliance by the operators.
Not a single tricycle taxi is found operating within the restricted zones.
Most of the tricycles now operate at the race course market, which is a few metres away from the restricted areas.
“The ban has taken a toll on our business. We park at the race course market for several hours before we get passengers. We are praying city authorities to rescind their decision and issue some of us with stickers to operate in the CBD,” a tricycle operator, Abdul Majeed pleaded.
Congestion reduction
Congestion within the central business district has seen some level of improvement, but city authorities want to do more to further decongest the area.
Head of Transport at KMA, Randy Wilson, said they’ve begun collecting data on ‘trotros’ and taxis operating in the CBD and will soon limit the number authorized to operate in the area by issuing stickers.
“We’ve started the data collection process about a month ago, and we were supposed to have completed by now and use that to issue stickers and start the enforcement from the 2nd of October. However, we’ve extended the deadline for the enforcement because we are done with the data collection.
“When complete, whoever does not have a sticker can not even enter into the CBD,” Mr. Wilson warned.
By Ibrahim Abubakar