AMA reintroduces embossment on taxis project

Taxi's operating within the Accra Metropolis would from March 1 be required to have the Accra Metropolitan Assembly's (AMA) embossed numbers on their vehicles.

The cost of the embossment would be GHc40 for new registrants while old registrants would pay an unspecified less amount.

Numo Blafo Omeatu III, the Public Relations Officer, of the AMA, announced this at a sensitisation programme at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, the UTC Taxi Rank, in Accra.

He said the exercise which was started in 2008 was put on hold for a review to bring on board all the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) under the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) Project.

Numo Blafo said the AMA and its stakeholders, such as the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), cooperatives and other transport owners, needed to be informed before the commencement of the embossment to ensure the success of the exercise.

He said robbers usually used taxis, which did not have the embossment, for their operations and urged the drivers to embrace the programme because it would to help curb crime in the Metropolis.

The PRO said some drivers had also complained to the AMA of harassment and not being permitted to load because they did not have the embossment numbers on their cars.

Numo Blafo gave the assurance that all taxis would be allowed to operate within the GAMA area while the Assembly intensified their education on the programme to ensure compliance with road regulations.

Mr. Yaw Boakye, the Chairman of the Circle-UTC Drivers, appealed to the AMA to give the drivers some time to ensure that all drivers were able to emboss their vehicles to avoid long queues.