Tricycle operators in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region have appealed to government to legalize their operations.
According to them, the legalization of their work will save them from being hassled by the police for operating without the requisite license.
Their appeal come at the back of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Flagbearer, John Mahama campaign promised that seeks to legalize ‘Okada’ operations when voted in power.
Speaking to A1 NEWS, some tricycle operators said, the legalization of their operations will reduce unemployment and crime rate in the area.
Akolgo Mohammed said, “All of us cannot steal if not this business is equal to none because at the end of the day what you will earn will be given to the security men leaving you empty. I hope that if authorities can legalize our operations it will help us. Our families depend on us and not all of us can fix ourselves on the ‘white-color’ jobs”.
“Just that, politicians don’t speak the truth but if what John Mahama is saying is true, it is a welcoming idea because we usually get maltreated every day by these security personnel.
We see stealing as a crime if not we could equally steal, but we don’t want it that way reasons we buy these ‘Cando’. But what the security personnel is doing to us is like we are thieves using ‘the Cando’.” Samuel Atiah noted.
Reacting on the matter, the Upper East Regional Director of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, Abdulai Mutawakilu who noted the concerns of the operators, said, nothing can be done about the current situation unless the law is reviewed by parliament.
“What we usually give to them is a private license so if they are operating as a commercial purpose that is onto them. There is no law saying that we should license tricycles for commercial purposes so we follow the laws.”
Source:|A1radioonline.com|