GPRTU sues Tamale Metro Assembly over decongestion

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union branch in Tamale has dragged the Metropolitan Assembly (TaMA) to court over relocation of the main lorry park known as “Bus Stop” in a decongestion exercise that seeks to clean up the messy city.

Public Relations Officer, Musah Issah confirmed the legal action against the city authorities to Kasapa News saying a task force who stormed the terminal Wednesday morning to compel the relocation was restrained by the writ.

City authorities had issued a ten day ultimatum indicating all vehicles plying on the Eastern corridor part of the region be moved to a new lorry park at Kukuo around the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

The intention was to decongest and tidy up the crammed and insanitary lorry station where stench of latrines hangs in the air and has slowed vehicular and commuters movement.

According to Musah, the assembly intended to move only vehicles traveling to Bimbila, Salaga, Yendi, Jimli Tatale and others in the eastern corridor to join their counters at the newly renovated Kukuo lorry station.

Leadership of the GPRTU protested against the move and finally went ahead to acquire an injunction from the court ordering city authorities to discontinue the relocation exercise until the case is determined by the court.

Giving details of the writ, the spokesman said the local executives complained the new location wasn’t good for operation. The Private Transport Union also wants the assembly to install infrastructures at the new station including building offices and passenger waiting structures for its operation.

“They are seeking some relieves or they are making some issues out which is: they are asking that we should provide some offices and shades at where we are asking them to go so that when they go, they can continue to use the place conveniently.

“And the other one also, they are asking that if we are not in the position to address the first relieve then we should allow them time so that on their own they can see what they can do. So for now all I can say is that we are talking to our lawyers.”

The assembly has criticised leaders of the national Union saying they acted in “bad faith” for failing to return to negotiations table.

The decongestion exercise which the Mayor, Musah Superior unleashed scores of armed soldiers and local taskforce to pavements and expressways to evict hawkers and petty traders, has been characterized with stiff resistance.

Last month, what calmed tensions between city authorities and evicted street hawkers was a physical assault on leader of the task force who is also a subchief in Tamale, Mohammed Hafiz Demanaa.

Demanaa received stroke of slaps on his face after scuffle ensued between the task force team and the hawkers.

The team had gone to again drive away the hawkers from the Jubilee Park where they had occupied temporarily under orders of three prominent Chiefs including the Dakpemah when the misunderstanding erupted.