Drivers at Sunyani-Yamfo Station demand for better working environment

Correspondence from Bono Region:

The Sunyani-Yamfo Station was created in the year 2016 by the Sunyani Municipal Assembly, in an attempt to avoid unauthorised parking by taxi drivers.

The station, which is located in front of the former DKM building and behind Sam Bennette's Knight of St John's building in Sunyani municipality, has a lot of drivers who operate in various towns.

The drivers who operate from Sunyani to other towns such as Yamfo, Tepa, Duayaw-Nkwanta, and Bechem, all in the Ahafo Region. Drivers who also ply their road to Asufufu, Estate, and Watchman, within the Sunyani municipality, also operate from this particular station.

Section of these drivers, who had moved away from the station, to park in front of the Sunyani Coronation Park, narrated their ordeal to Ghanaweb.

Mr Kwasi Ofori, a taxi driver, stated that the recent rainfall has flooded most parts of the station.

''The continuous rainfall from Saturday to Tuesday, March 9, has flooded most parts of the station making the place muddy. How can such a dusty place be used as a station when we continue to pay for tickets issued to us by the assembly at the entrance of the station now and then?'' he quizzed.

Another driver, Mr. Kwadwo Mensah, who was alarmed by the poor conditions at the station said ''what does the assembly use these monies for''?

To him, ''there is no need for us to continue to pay for tickets when the assembly cannot provide a common pavement at the station''.

Mr. Thomas Adjei, Asufufu taxi driver also complained about the lack of basic sanitary facilities, such as urinals and toilets.

''Because there is no urinal here, we urinate anywhere. The strong odour from our urine as a result of the recent rains makes it difficult to work at the station - the stench is too much for us'', he added.

The station master, Mr Kwadwo Nkansah, disclosed that he has petitioned the assembly to assist them with these basic sanitary facilities, including the pavement of the station but nothing positive has come out of it.

''I have had discussions with the assembly on this but the answer has been, we are working on it. Passengers don't come here whenever it rains because of the mud they will have to walk through. The drivers don't also operate here because of the mud the passengers will carry to board their cars''.

The station master indicated that the drivers have decided not to pay for the tickets issued to them by the assembly from next week if nothing is done about the muddy condition of the station and subsequently, move out of the place, to create a station on the street.