THE long-standing misunderstanding and rivalry between the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMT) in the Tamale metropolis will soon be over.
This is because the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TAMA) will by the close of this month conclude discussions with stakeholders on the allocation of a new site located behind the Aboabo Timber Market in the metropolis to the MMT for the construction of a new bus terminal.
When that is done, the MMT would relocate from its present place of operation within the Savelugu Lorry Station in the Central Business District (CBD) to the new site.
The GPRTU and the MMT operate from the Savelugu station.
Last May, members of the GPRTU threatened to go on strike over what they described as “unfair and unhealthy competition” from the MMT.
The GPRTU also gave a one-week ultimatum to the TAMA to resolve the matter and bring sanity into the transport sector.
Among the arguments advanced by the GPRTU was the need for the MMT to reduce the “relatively high number of its buses plying the routes in the area”.
At a meeting held last February between the GPRTU, the MMT and the TAMA, members of the two transport organisations gave a pledge to work closely devoid of any antagonism.
However, the GPRTU members held a press conference in Tamale a few months after the February meeting, during which they blamed the TAMA and the MMT for their failure to adhere to the resolutions passed at the meeting.
Currently, the MMT operates 40 buses between the metropolis and almost all the 18 districts of the Northern Region.
The MMT started operations in the Tamale metropolis in 2003 with an initial fleet of 10 DAF buses.
A transport owner and driver at the Savelugu Lorry Station, Mr Mohammed Jerico, in an interview with this reporter, alleged that “we most often ply the Tamale-Kumasi route once a month due to the unfair competition from the MMT; but for areas such as Yendi, it takes at least one week for one bus to ply that route all because of those issues we are talking about”.
The Regional Chairman of the GPRTU, Mr Amadu Lamusah, stressed that “a Memorandum of Understanding must be reached between the GPRTU and the MMT to help resolve all outstanding issues and define their operations in the region; but the assembly must speed up the processes to resolve this matter”.
The Officer in charge of the MMT Depot in Tamale, Mr Malik Ibrahim Gombilla, observed that apart from solving the problem of misunderstanding between his company and the GPRTU, the new site would enhance its operations.
He further said the Savelugu Lorry Station was congested as it affected departure time of the MMT buses plying the various routes.
“We currently ply 34 routes within the region and we would soon start plying the Nawuni and Voggu areas. We also intend to ply the Yendi-Kumasi, Tatale-Kumasi, Janga, Mpaha, Tibum as we are expecting new buses,” Mr Gombilla intimated.
According to the officer, the number of buses plying routes such as Bimbilla, Tatale, Chereponi and Saboba would be increased in the near future.
He said the poor road network in the region was a major challenge to his outfit.
Mr Gombilla said due to the increased patronage of its services, the number of staff had increased from 35 in 2003 to the current 162.
When contacted on the issue, the Metropolitan Co-ordinating Director (MCD), Mr Mohammed Baba, said the assembly was currently discussing the matter with the Department of Town and Country Planning, the Lands Commission and the Forestry Department to allocate the new site to the MMT “in the next two weeks”.
He, however, entreated the MMT management to operate in such a way that their operations would not ‘kill’ the businesses of other transport organisations”.
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