The Achimota Transport Terminal Welfare is accusing the management of the terminal, Koajay Company Limited of arbitrary chasing and arrest of supposedly offending drivers around the town.
According to the Welfare Secretary, Mr. Victor Owusu, since Koajay Company Limited won the bid to have mandate to operate as managers and administrators of the Achimota Transport Terminal, problems of the terminal keeps growing rapidly.
Achimota Transport Terminal built with state-of-art facilities such as spacious passenger sheds, canteens, public washrooms, car parks and other capacities for other public income generating activities for both management was built with hard repayable funds from the World Bank in partnership with Accra Metropolitan Assembly.
In addition, there is also a modern clinic and a police station in the terminal that, nurses come to their duty and close without any patient visiting the clinic.
Speaking to the media in Accra, he revealed that, ten years of existence, there are no markets, local houses, offices or business to facilitate passenger accessibility and patronage in the terminal.
Lamenting on the current state of the terminal, he indicated that, after Koajay taking over the task force operations of the terminal with the intention of raising up the image and patronage of terminal, it has rather began arbitrary chasing and arresting supposedly offending drivers around the vicinity.
Koajay Company he said are much interested in getting maximum income from vehicles that get into the terminal than been concern with addressing the problems affecting the sustainability of their work as transpotersin the terminal.
“Koajay Company has refused to meet us in order to find ways of addressing our problems and for the past two years, the Director has not had any dialogue with the welfare executives of the terminal on addressing our plights”, he bemoaned.
Pointing out that, against all protestations, the management of Koajay has insisted on taking gate toll from drivers even on public holidays and Sundays. Adding this has not been the practice at any transport station in the country.
With regards to security, the Secretary revealed that, lack of adequate security at the terminal have led to thefts of vehicle batteries and other vehicles parts as well as thieves and vagabonds have turned the toilet facility situated at the western gate of the terminal into hideouts for narcotics, alcohol and other illegal drugs harbor.
Also opined that, lack of passenger patronage has led to an unhappy and consistent reduction in the over 1,600 vehicles that began operating in the terminal on its inception which currently mere 200 vehicles and even less are operating presently at Achimota terminal.
Sounding so worried, Mr. Victor Owusu indicated that, they have called on the Ministry of Roads, Transport and Railways and other stakeholders to intervene to ensure sanity and effective running of the terminal.
Source: Ishmael Barfi
