By Edward Williams, GNA
Hohoe (V/R), June 15, GNA – Mr Anthony Elorm Afevieku, Assembly Member for Torkoni/Trevi Electoral Area, in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region, has moved a motion to allow auto rickshaws popularly known as “Pragya” or “Mahama Can Do” operate within the Municipality.
The commercial operation of pragya in the Municipality was prohibited under a bylaw enacted by the Hohoe Municipal General Assembly on September 27, 2023, during its Session.
Mr Afevieku said the motion served as amendment to the earlier bylaw passed by the Assembly adding that he had proposed recommendations and regulatory guidelines as well as prohibited routes in the motion.
He said to ensure that the reintroduction of auto rickshaws do not recreate the chaos of the past, he proposed that the amendment to the Bylaw incorporated strict regulatory guidelines.
Mr Afevieku said there must be corporate registration so that no individual auto rickshaw shall be licensed to operate in isolation but under the umbrella of a recognized transport company, with each company assigned a unique identity.
He said the Assembly must institute a technical committee which would meet the interested companies who wished to operate the business before any auto rickshaw was seen on the roads.
Mr Afevieku said all transport companies must formally register their entire fleet at the Assembly in the company’s name before deployment while operators strictly stick to designated and approved routes and standard penalties must apply for tracking off route.
He said in a bid to maximize local economic development and ensure safety, Hohoe inhabitants must be given first consideration as riders, as they possess an intimate knowledge of the town’s geography, routes, and cultural norms.
Mr Afevieku said every single rider must be legally licensed by the DVLA, and both the rider and the vehicle must be registered with the Assembly’s transport department.
He noted that to prevent arbitrary fare hikes and protect the public, the Assembly must be an active stakeholder in the pricing and fare-fixing process alongside the transport unions.
“Also, auto rickshaws are to be strictly prohibited from parking or loitering on designated high-traffic main highways, except at designated off-road terminals, he added.
Mr Afevieku said to prevent congestion in the central business district and ensure smooth traffic flow, the following routes are proposed to be prohibited routes for consideration and approval for auto rickshaw operators not to ply.
The station traffic light through the principal street to “Ali’s Boutique”, station traffic through the principal street to Coca-Cola depot and Hospital junction through the hospital road to the hospital.
Mr Robert Atsu Okor, Assembly member of the Gbledi Electoral Area, seconded the motion as a working document at the next general assembly session.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Edward Williams
[email protected]