Uber operators are under attack from some taxi drivers in Ghana’s capital, Accra.
The traditional Taxi drivers at the Accra Mall and the Airport enclave have become hostile towards their rival Uber drivers.
According to an Uber driver who spoke to Starr Business’ Osei Owusu Amankwaah, Taxi drivers based at the Accra Mall threatened to clamp his vehicle if he refused to move from the location. Another who also dropped a client at the Airport gave a similar account.
The Taxi drivers claim Uber operators are not subjected to some levies like all commercial vehicles in the country therefore enjoying undue advantage.
The Industrial Relation Officer of the Greater Accra GPRTU, Abass Ibrahim Moro told Starr Today host, Bernard Nasara Saibu that they are agitated because Uber Operators do not pay Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) levies.
“… This Uber system has just come, nobody knows what they are doing; they are not paying anything and instead of AMA to look for those people and make some money out of them; we the law abiding people they have rather arbitrary increased our permits that we have been paying,” Moro said.
He, however, rubbished claims that their agitation is borne out of competition from Uber operators.
Meanwhile, the AMA Public Relation Officer, Numo Blafo when contacted had no information on the matter.
In an interview last year, the Head of Expansion at Uber, Loic Amado, mentioned that the company had complied with all the laws of the country.
“Uber is complying with all the necessary laws in Ghana and more interestingly we are committed to engaging with all stakeholders prior to our launch,” Amado told Business Television Africa.
The Committed Taxi Drivers Association has vowed to embark on a demonstration against the operation of Uber if nothing is done to address the concerns of drivers. Its president Charles Danso is convinced that the operation of Uber does not conform to the country’s Taxi regulation.
The Charted Institute of Logistics and Transport wants Uber to further engage the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) or any transport union in the country to align their operations to avert future disturbances.
Uber started business in Ghana on Saturday June 11, 2016.
Listen to Osei’s full audio report here:
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