The Road Safety Commission and the Police will next week embark on a major operation to arrest users of wheel-cabs for commercial purposes in Tamale.

The commission says the practice is illegal, despite an ongoing government project by MASLOC to supply the wheel-cabs to residents in deprived communities to use for commercial purposes.

Early Tuesday, residents of Tamale were left stranded when taxi and trotro drivers from eleven stations under the GPRTU embarked on a strike to protest the use of the wheel-cabs also known as Mahama Cambuu for commercial taxi.

Joy News' Northern Region correspondent Martina Bugri in a report said but for the timely intervention of the police, one of the drivers of the wheel-cabs would have been lynched by the commercial drivers.

Northern Regional Road Safety boss Alexander Ayata told Joy News they will soon clamp down on the users of the tricycle for commercial purposes.

Quoting the road safety laws, Mr. Ayata said the tricycles cannot be used for commercial purposes.

He said at best, the tricycles can be used for courier services and private transportation of families but cannot be used for commercial services.

Mr Ayata said if the government wants to use the wheel-cabs for commercial services then it has to go back to Parliament and amend the law.

He said for now their major concern is to ensure safety on the roads and they will not allow the wheel-cabs to be used.

Another major concern for Mr Ayata is the use of teenagers in the business.

According to him, a number of teenagers who are supposed to be in school have found their way on the roads manning these wheel-cabs.

He said the Commission has taken a serious view of the phenomenon and will be meeting to address it with all the urgency it deserves.