New Juaben South bans Pragya activities for two weeks; riders and passengers unhappy

Correspondence from Eastern Region

Riders and patrons of commercial tricycles popularly called "Pragya" in Koforidua are appealing to the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly to reconsider its decision to ban their operations in the Municipality for two weeks.

The riders claim they have done no wrong to deserve such "punishment", saying, they have followed all laid down protocols by the Assembly to fight COVID-19.

Leader of the pragya riders, who prefers to be identified as Chairman Huggler, speaking to Ghanaweb, expressed unhappiness about the Assembly's move.

"The decision to shut down our activities will not help us at all. It will worry (us) greatly. The rate of unemployment will be something else. This (pragya) has come to create job for us and you say you want to ban us because of just one person's mistake.

"What they (the Assembly authorities) are supposed to do is to allow all those having the Assembly's embossment on their tricycles to operate and rather arrest the recalcitrant," Chairman Huggler said.

The New Juaben South Municipal Assembly announced its decision, at a meeting with the riders, to shut down commercial activities of the pragya for two weeks starting from Monday May 11, 2020.

The riders, who are mostly young men, indicated that the decision to shutdown their activities means the Assembly wants them to leave their present decent jobs.



Some of the passengers also expressed their views to Ghanaweb indicating that the pragya had come to reduce cost of transportation for them and that the Assembly should reconsider their decision.

"Clamping down pragya operations will really affect the nation and myself. Taxis charge higher than Pragya and they close early. As for the Pragya, wherever you go, it is GHC 1.00 and you can catch them anytime even late hours," one passenger said.