The irate drivers
The movement of people at Tech and its environs in Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital, was restricted on Monday morning after commercial drivers in the area embarked on a demonstration.
Irate commercial drivers that ply their trade in the area parked their vehicles to protest against what they described as unfair treatment by city authorities.
The commercial drivers said they embarked on the demonstration because of the continuous extortion of monies by city authorities and lack of parking space to pick passengers.
The angry drivers threatened to embark on another demonstration on Tuesday if the authorities fail to address their grievances.
The aggrieved commercial drivers also asked the guards of the Kumasi Metropolitan Authority (KMA) and the police to stop the extortion of monies.
The demonstration was meant to mount pressure on the city authorities to quickly create parking space, notably along the Tech Main road to help enhance their business.
The action of the drivers brought activities in the city to a standstill, as people could not travel to their destination.
Scores of people, including students, were seen loitering.
Some of the anxious people, including the elderly and school-going children, walked to their workplaces and schools.
The commercial drivers, who were also seen in groups around the Tech traffic light, chanted war songs and called for fair treatment by the city authorities.
One of the commercial drivers, who only gave his name as Akwasi from Oduom, said the drivers were not being allowed to pick passengers at an approved place near the Tech traffic light.
The drivers are usually arrested and sent to court where we are ordered to pay huge sums of monies before being freed whenever we park near the Tech traffic light to pick passengers, he said.
Akwasi also condemned the conduct of the city authorities.
By this massive demonstration, we hope that the city authorities would for once listen to our cry and stop extorting money from us and also create parking space so that we can work in peace, he added.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi
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