Standoff as VIP blocks STC from Asafo terminal

There is chaos at the Asafo terminal in Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital, as workers of the VIP Transport Services have clashed with staff and management of the State Transport Corporation, (STC) preventing them from operating at the bus terminal.

The drivers and staff of VIP have blocked the entrance to the terminal with their buses preventing STC buses from accessing the station to go ahead with an inauguration ceremony.

According to STC, they have legally acquired a portion of the bus terminal from the Ghana Private Roads and Transport Union, (GPRTU) to move their operations from Adum to the Asafo terminal.

Mr Simtim Aboagye, the deputy operations for STC in the Ashanti region speaking on the issue on Citi FM Monday stated that operators of VIP are preventing STC from moving into the Asafo terminal because of the competition the state operator brings onboard.

Mr Aboagye added that the planned inauguration to launch their operations from the Asafo terminal has currently been put on hold due to the standoff.

But Professor Lookman Owusu Ansah, Director of Finance for GPRTU has laughed off claims that they are preventing STC from accessing the terminal due to the competition from STC.

According to Prof. Owusu Ansah, STC does not have what it takes to compete with VIP. He added that they are preventing STC from using the space at the Asafo terminal because the state transport failed to go through the right procedure to acquire the space.

He added that VIP will not allow STC from operating from the Asafo terminal until all other bus operators of the Asafo terminal agree to allow the state transport operate from the bus terminal.