Workers express concern about exploitation by drivers

Kumasi, Jan 27, GNA- Workers in the Kumasi metropolis have expressed serious concern about the conduct of taxi and trotro drivers who have resorted to some tricks that eventually make them pay twice or thrice the approved fares.

They said taxi and trotro drivers who hitherto picked passengers from respective stations to the Kejetia terminal, now off-load the passengers mid-way and pick the same passengers and charge them again before sending them to their final destination.

These concerns were expressed during a survey conducted by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi on Tuesday following complaints about the exploitative conduct of some taxi and trotro drivers in the metropolis and the difficulties most workers now go through before getting to their workplaces.

A cross section of commuters including teachers, nurses, traders, public and civil servants the GNA talked to, said the situation was a great worry to them and appealed to the various transport unions and the Regional Co-ordinating Council and the city authorities to swiftly intercede and address the problem.

They observed that the situation had not only made it difficult getting trotro or taxi to and from work, but was also impacting negatively on productivity since workers most often get to work late. Mr Kwabena Baah, a public servant, told the GNA that with the tricks employed by the commercial drivers, he now has to pay 3,000 cedis from Tech-Junction by taxi to his workplace at Adum instead of the approved 1,500 cedis.

Madam Adwoa Boateng, a social worker, said she spends 1,200 cedis by trotro from Pankrono to her workplace at Adum instead of 800 cedis. When the GNA spoke to Mr Issah Khaleepha, the Senior Industrial Relations Officer of the Ashanti region Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), he shared the problem on the low approval fares for taxis and trotro and said the only solution to the problem is to increase the fares slightly.