The Akropong Magistrate Court in the Ashanti Region has remanded 12 commercial tricycle riders into police custody following a violent protest at the premises of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) on Monday.
The riders were arraigned and charged on Tuesday August 8, 2023 for the disturbances that led to the destruction of property and injury of six police officers.
The protest follows the impounding of 46 tricycles after their riders defied a new transport restrictions within the Kumasi Central Business District.
The police came under attack in their attempt to restrain the riders from marching towards the KMA to demand the release of the seized tricycles.
Speaking to Luv Fm, Head of the Transport Department at the KMA, Randy Wilson urged the “pragya” riders to use the right measures to address their concerns.
“We have asked them to write to the Chief Executive and the complaints committee so that we could look at the issue and make the necessary amendments. Laws are made for human beings and if laws have been made and they are not helping us to live peacefully, they can be amended. We know it is an illegality at the national level but within the city, we want to regulate our mode of transport,” he said.
KMA Transport Convener, Kwaku Appiah, also added that, “We expect these transport operators to comply with this directive or else the whole city would come to a halt”.
Meanwhile, the suspects are expected to reappear before the court on Tuesday, August 14.
