Scores of commercial tricycle operators, known locally as Pragya riders, took to the streets of Kumasi on Thursday, November 20, to protest alleged harassment and extortion by officials of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).
The operators parked their tricycles and prevented others from working across the metropolis, forcing many colleagues to join the demonstration. Pragya tricycles have become a popular mode of intra-city transport in Kumasi and other parts of the Ashanti Region.
Two years ago, the KMA restricted the movement of these tricycles, banning them from some major areas in the Central Business District. Although operators eventually complied, complaints of mistreatment by KMA task forces have resurfaced.
Seidu Mubarak, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the National Union of Tricycle Operators, Ghana, spoke at the “Enough is Enough” protest, detailing the grievances of his members.
“We are demonstrating against the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly over harassment, extortion, and the continued neglect of the challenges we face as tricycle operators. Despite numerous appeals, our concerns have been ignored,” he said.
Mubarak added that the petition is being presented to both the KMA and the National Democratic Congress, citing the party’s manifesto promise to legalize and regulate tricycle operations—an assurance that has yet to be implemented.
