The Minority in Parliament says attempts by government, through the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating, to ban the use of tricycles, popularly called ‘aboboyaa’ on highways is unconstitutional.
According to the caucus, the ban lacked the legal backing and was counter-productive in the quest to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa as envisaged by the government.
At a press conference in Accra on Monday, the Regional Minister said the move to ban the use of ‘aboboyaa’ was to ensure sanity on the highways in line with the ‘Let’s Make Accra Work’ agenda.
The ban is expected to take effect on all highways in the region in February 2022, but with regards the Tema Motorway,the prohibition takes effect on November 1, 2021.
But, Ranking Member on the Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament, Governs Kwame Agbodza, told journalists on Tuesday that only Parliament has powers to ban the use of tricycles on any road in the country.
Mr Agbodza who is also the MP for Adaklu, in the Volta Region, said the ‘aboboyaa’ which is mostly used to convey waste from various homes in the region, serve a very important purpose to the Ghanaian.
He said “the reason they are doing that is because that is where [Tema] the treatment plant is. We don’t have enough treatment plants within Accra itself. If you see them on the highway going to Tema, it is simply because there is no other way they can dump it.
“Let him [Henry Quartey] be aware that he is overstepping the authority under his watch. There is no law in this country to determine which vehicles drive on which roads. That is within the purview of the National Road Safety Authority and the Ministry of Roads and Transport.”
Mr Agbodza said “If they want to make changes, they should liaise with the Ministries of Roads and Transport and through the appropriate agencies for them to bring the appropriate laws to this House to be passed.
“Until a point where you provide opportunities for people to do the right thing, it is wrong for you to pretend they will not do the wrong thing”.
Mr Agbodzasaid though the tricycle may seem to be nuisance on the highways, alternatives plans should have been put in place before the ban.
“It is dangerous. We all see it. But the solution is not to say you will ban them. If you ban them when they collect the refuse from Dansoman, how will they get to the treatment plant at Kpone?”
Photo of Mr Kwame Agbodza
