Metro Mass, Aayalolo buses must provide services for stranded commuters - MP

Member of Parliament for Akim Swedru, Kennedy Osei Nyarko has asked the Metro Mass Transit Services and the Aayalolo Bus Services to provide services for stranded commuters.

The legislator believes it was time Metro Mass Transport step in and provide enough transportation services for the people.

Several passengers have been left stranded across the country following a strike action by commercial transport operators.

The intended strike announced by the Coalition of Commercial Transport Owners last week has started today, Monday, December 6, 2021.

The strike action is to compel the government to scrap some taxes on fuel to enable reduction at the pumps.

According to the Coalition, the government for the past two weeks has failed to heed their calls for some taxes on fuel prices to be scrapped off hence the decision to embark on the sit-down strike.

The coalition of private transport operators consists of Ghana Private Road and Transport Union (GPRTU), Association of Tipper Truck Drivers, Harbor Transport Owners, Ghana National Cargo Transport Association, Ghana Committed Drivers Association, Concerned Drivers Association, Digital Drivers, Commercial motorbike riders, popularly referred to as Okada, the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers among others.

The Coalition wants the government to scrap off taxes like the Price Stabilisation and Recovery Levy, Special Petroleum Tax, the Energy Recovery Debt Levy, and the Sanitation levy.

The MP wants the state transport operators to step in and offer services to commuters.

In his view when private commercial vehicle operators decide to go on strike, public transport services owned by the state should be adequately deployed to minimise the impact.

To him, the Ministry of Transport should work out modalities with Metro Mass and the Aayalolo buses to take over and provide enough services for the general public until such a time the situation is resolved.

He said state buses offer half fares of the private trotros so this is the time Ghanaians must shift and start using more of the public transport services.