At least 12 tricycle riders have been arrested by a task force for defying the directive not to use the Accra-Tema Motorway.

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, as part of his 'Let's Make Accra Work' agenda, barred tricycles from plying the motorway effective Monday, November 1, 2021.

However, some riders of these trikes, popularly known as 'Aboboyaa', defied the order and used the highway to cart refuse to the Kpone landfill site.

Speaking to Accra-based Citi News, the Municipal Chief Executive of Ayawaso North said the tricycles will be impounded.

Mohammed Zakaria Aminu, who led the team to undertake the operation, added that the riders arrested will be fined or prosecuted.

He insisted that the government is committed to ensuring that this policy is upheld and duly implemented.

"We have to offload the refuse, so we are moving them to the transfer stations and dump them there, and subsequently, the tricycles will be impounded."

Meanwhile, the Informal Waste Workers Union has asked the government to provide an alternative route for members plying the motorway to cart garbage to the Kpone landfill.

The Union also called on government to provide waste compactor mobile trucks at vantage points within the Greater Accra Region before implementing the restrictions.

But the Minister says plans are underway to have waste transfer sites in every district in the region by February 2022.

After this fruition, tricycles will be barred from using all major roads in the Greater Accra Region.

They will be expected to deposit refuse at the waste transfer sites.