Tricycle operators in the waste collection business across the Ashanti Region are protesting the introduction of an additional toll by the Asokwa Municipal Assembly.

The protest follows the assembly’s decision to erect a toll booth at the entrance of the Oti landfill site in Kumasi to charge the waste collectors GH¢5 per visit.

The amount adds to an existing GH¢30 daily waste management fee already paid to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.

The aggrieved ‘Aboboyaa’ group described the new levy as “unfair and unjustifiable”, arguing that they already pay the approved daily fee to dispose of waste at the landfill.

They contend the new toll compounds financial burdens on their operations, which already run on lean profits.

According to the riders, the decision was taken without prior consultation despite their role as key stakeholders in the waste management value chain.

They warn that the extra toll could force some operators out of business, leading to disruptions in household waste collection and potential public health risks across the region.

In a petition to the Ashanti Regional Minister, the operators appealed for urgent intervention to halt the implementation of the new fee.

They further called for a stakeholder meeting involving the Regional Coordinating Council, the Asokwa Municipal Assembly, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, and waste management companies to agree on a more sustainable solution.

The tricycle riders further stressed that beyond their routine house-to-house waste collection duties, they voluntarily assist local assemblies during sanitation and other clean-up exercises, facilitated with their own fuel and resources to complement efforts in keeping Kumasi clean.

They are warning that if the matter is not immediately resolved, they will be compelled to boycott their support for communal clean-up exercises, increase waste collection charges, or suspend house-to-house waste collection altogether.

“This move could worsen sanitation conditions in the Ashanti Region,” Salim Mohammed, Chairman for Sanitation Tricycle Riders Association cautioned.