NPP MPs justify decision to ban ‘Aboboyaa’

The majority in Parliament has rejected claims by the minority that the decision by the Greater Accra Regional Minister to ban tricycles from highways is illegal.

Minority spokesperson on Roads and Transport, Governs Kwame Agbodza, on Tuesday accused the Greater Accra regional minister Henry Quartey of arrogating to himself powers of the transport and roads minister in getting assemblies to enact by-laws to enforce the ban.

But speaking to the media in parliament Chairman for the Roads and Transport Committee Kennedy Osei Nyarko argued the assemblies are within their rights to enact laws to ban the Aboboyas.

The Akim Swedru MP justified the ban arguing tricycles are becoming a danger to road users and themselves.

According to him, he sees no reason why the majority will refute the claim to ban tricycles on highways because it has been in the law since 2012.

In an interview with Starr News, the MP said, “the road and traffic regulation from section 1-4 in place has stated clearly that motorcycles and tricycles are not to be used for commercial purposes. When somebody uses a tricycle to cart waste and other things, they virtually use it for commercial activities. This is a broad law and it bans those things already we have not fully implemented it to the latter”.

“Nobody is saying you cannot drive motors and other things but the law says you cannot use it for commercial purposes that’s all the law says. You can use it for courier and delivery but to use it to cart waste on the highways we think it’s very dangerous. Because on the highways, vehicles are moving on a top speed and tricycles which doesn’t have that speed competing with them and we put vehicle drivers in severe danger,” he added.

He further stated that drivers of Aboboyaa have the right to campaign within their locality.

“That is why the regional minister has discussed with private waste management that has the capacity that they should build transfer stations at designated locations so that when the tricycles operators cart the refuse they take it there, get it sorted out and a big truck will come for it to the destination”.

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