Uber operators in Ghana’s capital, Accra are under attack from some taxi drivers.
The local Taxi drivers in the busiest parts of Accra have become hostile towards their rival Uber drivers.
According to an Uber driver who spoke to Africa Feeds, Taxi drivers have threatened to clamp his vehicle if he refused to move from a location where local taxi drivers operate.
There was similar account from another Uber driver who spoke to our reporter in Accra’s Airport residential area.
The Taxi drivers claim Uber operators are not subjected to some levies like all commercial vehicles in the West African nation therefore enjoying undue advantage.
The Industrial Relation Officer of the Greater Accra Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Abass Ibrahim Moro told Starr FM in Accra 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.
In an interview last year, the Head of Expansion at Uber, Loic Amado told local media Business Television Africa 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 said.
The Committed Taxi Drivers Association in Ghana has vowed to embark on a demonstration against the operations 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 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.
Source: Africafeeds.com/ Osei Owusu Amankwah
