Ashaiman transport operators take cover

The Ashaiman Municipal Private Transport Operators Coordinating Council (AMPTOCC), an umbrella body of all transport unions in the Ashaiman Municipality, has denied involvement in the Monday, June 24, 2013 violent riot by some drivers and residents over deplorable road network in the area.

The demonstration by some drivers and youth turned bloody when police and military personnel stormed the area to clear all road blocks mounted by the demonstrators.

The irate drivers and youth clashed with the security men.

At a press conference in Ashaiman on Thursday, Zikpuitor Aheto, Chairman of AMPTOCC noted that his outfit did not organize any demonstration.

According to him, even though AMPTOCC was aware of the deplorable road network, it lodged complaints with the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Addison Addinortey Numo on several occasions.

“We would have first informed our members, then the police and of course the leadership of this area’s municipal assembly before going ahead with such demonstration,” he said.

Mr. Aheto said a member of AMPTOCC initially informed him about the incident around 4:30am on phone.

He noted that the said caller told him that the entry and exit points of the terminal had all blocked by the irate group that restricted the drivers.

“When I heard this I quickly called some other colleagues to enquire from them if they were aware of such incident and to my surprise I realized that they did not know anything about it.”

He said he quickly contacted the Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent David Eklu and called for police personnel to bring the situation under control.

He said he also called the MCE to inform him about development.

Mr. Aheto noted that he contacted the executives of AMPTOCC and suggested they travel to the location to control the demonstrators.

“We were surprised to see that all the faces of the demonstrators were unknown to us. Most of us know drivers plying most of the municipality and quite a number of them at the various bus terminals know us as executives. Some of them actually threatened to beat us if we dared stopped them from carrying out the demonstration,” the chairman remarked.

He added that AMPTOCC’s investigation revealed that the demonstrators were not drivers.

He told the press that the MCE previously informed them that the contractor would resume work on the road.

According to him, he and other executive members of AMPTOCC met the hierarchy of the police and the municipal assembly to express their concerns about the incident.

He said the group was making frantic efforts to meet the injured policeman, Michael Tieko of the Tema Regional Buffalo Unit to apologize to him and compensate him appropriately.