Thirty commercial drivers have been arrested by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) taskforce for allegedly overcharging passengers during night operations at Santasi.
The joint taskforce, made up of police, military, and Assembly officers, carried out the swoop after receiving complaints that some drivers were exploiting commuters by demanding GH¢10 for short trips that officially cost GH¢3, especially from Santasi to Ahenema Kokobeng.
Leader of the operation, Sergeant Sampson Dadzie, described the act as unfair and illegal, stressing that there had been no approved increase in transport fares. “We are doing this to clean the system. With this kind of attitude, how will the nation develop?” he remarked.
According to Sergeant Dadzie, all the arrested drivers will be processed for court to face prosecution. He also warned other commercial drivers to desist from taking advantage of passengers during late hours when transport options are limited.
Some commuters expressed relief over the arrests, saying the taskforce’s intervention was long overdue. “You are charging us GH¢10 to Ahenema Kokobeng; why — are we going to Manso?” one frustrated passenger lamented.
The KMA says the operation will continue in other parts of Kumasi to ensure that drivers comply with approved fares and protect passengers from exploitation.
