Some Pragia riders in the community
Taxi drivers at Adankwame in the Atwima Nwabiagya North District of the Ashanti Region have threatened to resort to the use of cutlasses in their bitter dispute with tricycle (Pragia) riders over control of a lorry station.
The angry drivers, who belong to the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Progressive Transport Owners Association (PROTOA), claim the station has been their operational base for more than 30 years.
They accused the Pragia riders, who previously operated from Essaso, of invading their loading point and taking over portions of the station to load passengers along the main road.
According to the drivers, the development has created serious tension between the two groups, with disagreements over passenger loading reportedly resulting in several near-violent confrontations.
The taxi drivers alleged that some of the Pragia operators carry machetes in their tricycles and pull them out to threaten taxi drivers whenever disputes arise.
“The Pragia riders have taken over our station and they threaten us with machetes anytime we confront them. Several attempts to fight them have almost led to bloodshed,” one of the drivers alleged.
The drivers further claimed that the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Atwima Nwabiagya North, Mba Zakaria, as well as the Police Command, are aware of the dispute but have failed to take decisive action to resolve it.
They have therefore threatened to embark on a strike and stop paying taxes and levies to the District Assembly if their concerns are not addressed immediately.
“We pay taxes to the Assembly. If they fail to respond to our call, we will go on strike and no taxes will be paid again,” the drivers warned.
In what could further heighten tensions, the drivers also said they would be compelled to arm themselves if the authorities failed to protect them from what they described as persistent threats.
“We will also start pulling out cutlasses from our cars if that is what the authorities want us to do,” they warned.
The drivers have consequently appealed to the Ashanti Regional Minister, the Atwima Nwabiagya North District Assembly and the Ghana Police Service to urgently intervene before the simmering dispute turns violent.
They said an immediate resolution was necessary to prevent a possible clash and restore peace and order at the Adankwame loading station.
FROM David Afum, Adankwame