Achimota residents fume over bus stops closure

Residents of New Achimota and its environs have expressed displeasure at the closure of bus stops to commercial drivers and passengers on the Achimota section of the Achimota-Ofankor road.

Trotro drivers have been barred from picking passengers at the Neoplan overhead and the Achimota old station bus stops.

Passengers are directed to go to the Achimota bus terminal (new station).

It appears the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and authorities at the Achimota bus terminal are jointly ensuring compliance by drivers and passengers. Non-compliance is met with fines.

Per the directive, drivers who ply the Accra – Nsawam road can drop off passengers at these bus stops but cannot bring onboard, passengers from there.

The situation, according to some residents, has left passengers in an uncomfortable situation as they hustle to get vehicles to their various destinations.

Speaking to The Independent, an agitated resident complained of the inconveniences the directive was causing to residents of the area.

According to him, residents who wanted to board vehicles have to walk as far as the Apenkwa junction.

He explained that for fear of being fined, drivers are unwilling to pick passengers at the “closed” bus stops; a situation he stressed was affecting his business since he was always late for work.

“I don’t understand why they have given this rule. This is a bus stop so I don’t understand why drivers can drop passengers off but cannot pick other passengers at the same bus stop”.

“They want us to go all the way to the new station to board vehicles but looking at the location of the station and where I live, it will be tiring. Getting a car to the new station early in the morning is difficult due to traffic. If we cannot board a car at the bus stops here then it is a problem,” he lamented.

A commercial driver, who spoke to The Independent on condition of anonymity, decried the directive. He said the situation had brought a cut in their daily wages.

“Because of the directive, you cannot pick any passenger between Neoplan and Achimota old station. If you are not lucky to have passengers at Apenkwa, you will go to Accra empty.”

The residents are therefore calling on the city authorities to address the situation since the directive is inconveniencing residents in Achimota and its environs.