By Mavis Paintsil, Accra
The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), the Containers Owners Association and traders at the CMB in Accra have staged a demonstration against what they described as the unlawful takeover of their operating space by private individual.
Hundreds of participants, began early yesterday morning, September 16, and ended at the Jubilee House, where the demonstrators presented a petition to the President.
The aggrieved groups, who have operated at the CMB for decades, alleged that the land had been sold to a private individual for the construction of shops. They said the move threatened their livelihoods and risked disrupting a hub that had long served both transport operators and traders.
Local Vice-Chairman of the GPRTU Awoshie Branch, Charles Armah, told the ghanaianannouncer that the CMB station had operated since 1995 and was one of the busiest transport points in the city.
He said the station accommodated 27 branches of the union, and thousands of commuters relied on it daily. Any attempt to relocate them, he said, would create a major setback for both transport services and the public.
According to them, they decided to take action after learning that an individual had paid for the land to put up shops. That is why we petitioned the Jubilee House.
The Vice-Chairman of the GPRTU, CMB branch, Tetteh Tuffour, said parts of the station had already been demolished, forcing traders to move their businesses onto surrounding streets.
He described the situation as chaotic and unsafe, with overcrowding creating risks for both traders and commuters.
“We are appealing to the government to intervene and allocate the remaining land for a station and a marketplace. The construction of shops must be halted,” he said.
The Chairperson of the Containers Owners Association, Diana Nyakopa Daniels, said her members had operated at CMB since 1996 and had worked to maintain a safe and orderly trading environment.
With the demolition of parts of the station, however, traders had been forced onto the streets, where they were exposed to dust and smoke from vehicles.
“This is affecting their health. Many of the traders are women, single mothers, and even orphans who wake up as early as 1a.m. to earn a living. If they are evicted, how will they survive.
She appealed to the government to reclaim the land and secure the space for transport operators and traders, saying that the survival of hundreds of families depended on it.
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