The Ghana Private Road Transport Union [GPRTU], the Progressive Transport Owners Association [PROTOA] and the Co-operative Transport Society in Agona Swedru have all declined to join any form of demonstration to be organized by any transport association other than themselves.
Their decision follows last Monday’s demonstration in Agona Swedru by a group calling itself Peace Drivers Association, mainly made up taxi drivers.
The planned demonstration which was to press home their concern about the bad nature of the roads in Agona Swedru and its surrounding towns later turned sour when some the demonstrators clashed with a police re-enforcement team at Gomoa Benso where about thirty of the demonstrators were arrested, with some receiving various degrees of injuries.
Wind screens of vehicles were smashed, tyres deflated and some properties, including the office of Co-operative Transport Society were destroyed in the process by some of the demonstrators.
It took the intervention of the Chief of Agona Swedru, Ogidigram Nana Asiedu Botwe II to calm down the demonstrators when he addressed them in front of his palace, advising them to embark on the demonstration within the confines of the law.
The over eight-hour demonstration brought commercial activities in the town to a stand-still, with no movement of vehicle.
When contacted, the Chairman of GPRTU branch no. 5 Mr. Adams, the Chairman of PROTOA Mr. Yaw Faya and the Chairman of Co-operative Mr. Okyereko all denied prior knowledge of the demonstration, claiming they were not notified by the so-called Peace Drivers Association of their intended action.
They therefore described the demonstration as illegitimate, unwarranted and uncalled for.
The Swedru District Area Head of the Musama Disco Christo Church, Rev. John Benyi Eshun later told Ghananews247.com that though the demonstrators were fighting a just course, they however defeated their own purpose by going overboard to destroy cars and properties.
By: Robert Ayanful