The National Commercial Tricycle Riders Union has appealed to the government to subsidise the licensing fees for commercial tricycle operators, warning that the current cost is pushing many riders into illegality and hardship.
At GHS1,500 per licence, the fee is widely considered unaffordable by operators, many of whom rely on tricycle transport as their sole source of income.
In Kasoa in the Central Region, tricycles remain a vital means of transportation and an economic lifeline for hundreds of residents. For riders such as Dorris Aubrey, a single mother, the business is critical to supporting her family and financing her children’s education. However, her inability to afford the licence has left her vulnerable to frequent police harassment and interruptions to her work.
The National Chairman of the union, Mustapha Ibrahim, praised the government for legalising commercial tricycle operations but stressed that the high licensing cost undermines the policy’s intended benefits.
He argued that reducing or subsidising the fee would encourage compliance, enhance road safety, and protect the livelihoods of riders while ensuring passenger security.
Mr Ibrahim further revealed that the union is engaging the government to secure designated tricycle terminals nationwide, citing ongoing conflicts with metropolitan and municipal authorities over operating spaces. According to him, clearly defined terminals would reduce tension, improve traffic management, and bring order to the growing tricycle transport sector.
Story: Nyamebeye Kofi Ansah Sasraku