By Nathaniel Nartey.
Earlier, executives of Transport Unions at the various lorry stations were enforcing the sit-down strike embarked upon by the Coalition of Commercial Transport Operators by ensuring that drivers do not work today.
Commercial buses were stopped in the middle of the road and passengers were forced to alight. This led to chaotic scenes at some bus terminals and lorry stations in the capital, making passengers stranded and finding it difficult to get to work or their destinations.
GBC’s reporter Nathaniel Nartey monitored the situation at the Shiashie Lorry Station, in Accra and reports that the latest in a series of protests by the Coalition of Commercial Transport Operators, was different from the recent one which was characterized by non-compliance.
This time leadership of the Commercial Transport Operators were on the grounds to ensure compliance with the directive.
Chaos erupted at the Shiashie Lorry station when authorities realised some Commercial bus operators had defied the directive to strike in protest against the hike in fuel prices.
Some drivers and drivers mate at the station quickly mobilized themselves at the Shiashie-East Legon intersection and forced all commercial buses into the station where the driver was ordered to turn off his engine for the passengers to alight.
The group would immediately block the bus with car tyres and cement blocks. A particular driver of one of such buses tried negotiating with the group but to no avail.
Meanwhile, the passengers who were forced to alight from the bus also known as “trotro” reacted angrily when they were informed that their journey had been cut short without any balance to the fare they paid.
”We heard the news this morning so I boarded ‘okada” (motorbike), to Tema Station to escape this, but unfortunately, our driver was stopped here and we are stranded. The driver and his mate are saying they will not give us our money back, not even half of what we paid. This is not right. Government has to do something about this because, without these drivers, we cannot go to work,” they noted.
Authorities at the Shaishie lorry station declined speaking to GBC News for fear of being victimised.
