Commercial transport operators along the Duase-Kumasi stretch in the Kwabre East district of the Ashanti Region are protesting the local authority’s decision to arrest and prosecute drivers who charge unapproved transport fares.

The angry motorists, particularly “trotro” drivers and their conductors, registered their displeasure, blocking road access on the stretch for hours.

They blocked the road with stones and wooden planks as they compelled their colleague drivers to alight on-board passengers over what they described as harassment from the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.

The obstruction of traffic caused a stir as passengers and other road users were delayed in attending their daily duties.

It took the intervention of the police to disperse the angry drivers and allow free traffic flow in the area.

According to the aggrieved group, one person was allegedly arrested by the police.

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), on June 11, 2025, commenced a clampdown on drivers who charged unapproved transport fares.

Twenty-two vehicles were impounded by the assembly with their drivers paying fines of between 500 cedis to 1,500 cedis for defying the national directive for a 15% fare reduction.

In an interview with some drivers on why they charge the unapproved fares, they argued that persistent harassment and bribes demanded from some police officers informed their decisions to increase the fare during rush hours.

They further indicated that it is the only means to break even, especially given the current expensive economic dispensation.