The Ashanti Regional Transportation Taskforce will from Tuesday January 11, 2011 begin enforcing laws on the display of destination stickers on commercial vehicles for identification purposes. The taskforce was set up in December 2010 by the Regional Coordinating Council in collaboration with the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, with a mandate to check driver indiscipline in the metropolis. The measures adopted are aimed at controlling the exploitation of passengers by drivers in what has become known as the ‘waa-waa’ syndrome as well as instill safety on the roads. Commuters have been at the mercy of commercial drivers, especially operators of mini-buses or tro-tros, who intentionally run short-distance journeys with the intention of making more money on a route. The practice has resulted in stranded passengers spending undue periods at bus terminals in anticipation of getting a vehicle to go the expected normal distance. The transport taskforce would be mounting operation to monitor the situation of exploitation, especially with the recent 18% increase in transport fares. Coordinator of the taskforce, Amankwah Frimpong says there has been adequate sensitization for commercial drivers to comply with the regulation. “For two weeks we have been able to tell the people what is going to happen, we have been able to give enough education to the drivers to adhere to what we are going to undertake… so every vehicle, every operator is supposed to register with a union before one can operate in the metropolis and therefore it will curb the syndrome of ‘short short’ where the drivers exploit passengers,” he stated. The taskforce will be working with the regional police command to enforce compliance. Some commuters are however doubtful on the sustainability of scheme. Commercial drivers, especially taxi cab operators also complain the implementation of the bye-law will adversely affect their ‘dropping’ business. Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh/Luv Fm/Ghana