Member of Parliament for Asawase Constituency, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, has professed another solution to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) on the decongestion of tricycle operators in the central business district.

He stated that instead of the ban on these pragya operators which has caused simmering tension in Kumasi, the KMA can introduce congestion charges as a way to sanitize the system.

Speaking on CitiFM's Eyewitness News, he said inasmuch as Kumasi is getting choked, leaders must be careful not to solve a problem by creating a problem.

The Asawase MP, who addressed scores of tricycle operators, also called on city authorities to adopt a pragmatic approach to enforcing the directive.

“I personally agree that if you look at the way Kumasi is getting choked, if you look at the way our suburbs are getting choked, if you see the way some of the guys are driving the pragya, it is cause for concern. So it is very genuine. But what we should not lose sight of as leaders is that you don’t solve a problem by creating another problem. You try to solve the problem in a way that is a win-win situation,” he said.

“And I keep saying that, what can we do to help? Yes, we cannot run away from the fact that many of them do that for a living… So, in trying to solve the problem as leaders, we need to be pragmatic so that we have a win-win. My suggestion has always been that we cannot allow them to continue doing what they are doing, so what do we do to create some sanity? In my view, the easiest way is to introduce maybe congestion charges…for the trotro, pragya and the aboboyaa,” Mr Mubarak added.

It would be recalled that the Public Relations Officer of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Henrietta Afia Konadu Aboagye, said tricycles of riders who do not adhere to the no operation within the central business district would be impounded.

She said the restriction of tricycles from operating within the central business district of Kumasi aims at addressing the congestion within the metropolis.

SA/NOQ

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