Yilo Krobo Assembly, Drivers’ Association enforce compulsory loading of commercial vehicles at Akutunya station

Correspondence from Eastern Region

The Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly in collaboration with the United Drivers’ Association, a collection of all transport unions in the area have since Monday, 14th July, 2023 embarked on a special exercise to ensure that all long-distance commercial vehicles of different transport unions operate from the spacious Akutunya station.

The unions including the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Progressive Transport Owner’s Association (PROTOA), Millennium Drivers, etc. say the decision by most drivers to abandon the stations and solicit for passengers along the major road has turned the station into a ghost town.

The decision of the Assembly and Unions is geared towards bringing to an end the practice of floating drivers who have for the past two decades abandoned the station and engaging in what is referred to as ‘overlapping’ in drivers’ parlance.

Drivers over the years have resorted to picking passengers bound for Accra, Koforidua, Ashaiman, Dodowa, Adukrom, Kumasi, Akosombo, Takoradi and other destinations along the major streets and not the designated stations.

Despite countless efforts to persuade them to revive the station by operating from the facility and restore the place back to its former glory, they have been reluctant, a situation that has left the main Akutunya station deserted.

Chairman of the United Drivers’ Association, Mr. Anthony Nartey said.

announcements were carried out at some information centers and local radio stations prior to the commencement of the exercise to sensitize both drivers and passengers on the need to adhere to the new regulation.

Officials from the Unions also wrote to owners of the transport owners and paid personal visits to them to notify them of the intended activity.

They have also since Monday, August 14, 2023 positioned themselves at the main barrier at Trom to ensure that drivers who went through obtained chits from the station to ensure that they comply with the directive to load from the place.

Those who failed to obtain their chits were returned to the venue to get it before being allowed passage.

Detailing the expected benefits of the new transport regulation to the drivers, Mr. Nartey said they stand to gain economically from the new regulation than what they were earning as floating drivers.

“As a floating driver, you waste a lot of fuel in search of passengers but if you load from the station, you get a full load and return for more and so this is to their advantage,” he said.

Though similar exercises over the years have failed, the chairman while expressing optimism that the latest efforts would succeed through a united front urged the drivers and traveling public to heed to the new directive.

Municipal Finance Officer (MFO), at the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly, Mr. Christian Huttor speaking in an interview on behalf of the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Honorable Eric Tetteh indicated that it was the wish of the latter to see a vibrant station.

Getting the station back on track, he noted would safeguard the interests of the traveling public to trace and recover any missing items during the course of their journey as well as serve as an economic hub for most traders.

According to him, some recalcitrant drivers were reluctant to adopt and adhere to the latest arrangements, adding that the situation was casting a bad name for the area.

Warning passengers who may still want to avoid boarding vehicles from the stations and instead resort to picking vehicles by the wayside, the MFO cautioned that they risk being accosted at the barrier and returned to the station for the proper thing to be done.

“If you refuse to board a vehicle from the station and that vehicle gets to the barrier, the chit would be used to determine if the vehicle was loaded at the station or not,” said the MFO.

According to him, drivers who flout the directive when accosted at the barrier would be forced to pay a penalty through the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) as well as the issuance of a GCR receipt of the assembly.

Appealing to the motorists to pay heed to the new order, he said, “We appeal to the drivers, henceforth, all vehicles should load from the Akutunya station, there are lorry stations in places like Koforidua, Nkawkaw, Suhum, Nsawam, Asamankese and they operate effectively, Akutunya is far bigger than most of them so why have we allowed ours to collapse?”

According to him, the sensitization would be sustained over the coming days and weeks to ensure that it succeeds to fetches the needed revenue for the Assembly to undertake its mandate.

Henry Kwagye, a driver who was accosted at the barrier, in an interview with GhanaWeb though said the exercise was in the right direction however appealed to the authorities to be liberal about the enforcement to give the drivers ample time to adjust to the new order.

State of the station

Construction works on the age-old Akutunya lorry park began in April, 2023 as the place now mostly host various outdoor social, cultural, political and religious events.

As part of efforts to give the space some facelift that will befit its status as a major event ground, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Yilo Krobo, Hon Eric Tetteh and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for the area, Hon Albert Tetteh Nyakotey are leading a citizenry-driven fundraising campaign to raise funds for the first phase of the project.

The citizenry is being called upon to contribute handsomely towards funding the first phase of the project estimated to cost some Gh₵1,000,000 (one million cedis).