Taxi drivers would be arrested from Monday

Accra, March. 4, GNA - Mr. Stanley Nii Agyiri Blankson, Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) on Sunday said beginning from Monday March 5, 2007, the eve of independence day, all taxi drivers operating in the capital without wearing the prescribed navy blue shirt and blue-black trousers would be arrested.

He told journalists that the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) had been given instructions to effect the arrest of all taxi drivers without the prescribed uniform beginning from independence eve.

"Additionally all those who have not registered for the AMA numbers to be embossed on their taxis till Monday will pay the full 406,000 cedis as a punitive measure, instead of the subsidized rate of 250,000 cedis," he said.

Mr. Agyiri-Blankson, noted that the AMA had been charged, among other things to ensure some order in the operations of taxi drivers who operated in the city, especially during the golden jubilee anniversary to ensure the safety and comfort of tourist.

"We have tolerated protestations from recalcitrant taxi drivers - we have explained our position to them enough but they have refused to heed to the voice of reason. Now we are at our wits end and we have no other choice but to bring down the law enforcement agencies on them," he said. He said so far about 3,000 taxis had been registered and embossed with AMA numbers and some drivers had bought the prescribed uniform, adding that those which had registered but were yet to get their embossments would be provided with their numbers on Monday at the subsidized rate.

The AMA Boss said the authority was currently putting finishing touches to various locations in the city to get the city fully ready for the anniversary and also said that he had observed that some public offices were doing same.

Mr. Agyiri-Blankson expressed his best wishes to all Ghanaians during the golden jubilee celebration and cautioned that, "we should celebrate in a manner that at the close of day on March 6, we would have the same number of Ghanaian as we start the day with."