Some taxi drivers in the Tema metropolis Monday threatened to block major streets in the metropolis in protest against what they described as abuse by officials of the metropolitan assembly. The drivers numbering over 100 stormed the offices of Adom FM to explain their intended action, taken to register their displeasure at their suspicion the Tema Metropolitan Assembly was scheming to squeeze money from them. It took the personal involvement of Adakabre Frimpong Manso, Adom FM’s morning show host, to avert the demonstration as he moved in to plead calm and also followed up with the enraged drivers to the TMA offices. Explaining their anger, the drivers who claimed to be ‘floating’ (not members of any recognized station), said the TMA had asked all of them to register with a community station or they would not be given official recognition. Their argument was that they did not need to register with any station to work. They also claimed the stations were even too small to accommodate all of them and therefore felt the TMA was out with the scheme to extort money from them. They threatened to prevent all other drivers from working in the communities should the TMA fail to rescind its decision. The Public Relations Officer of the TMA, Frank Asante consequently invited the drivers for a meeting, at which the drivers were told that the TMA needed them to register so they could be recognized as an organized body since the Assembly intended to introduce the Urban Transport System. Mr. Asante said the new system is to help decongest the roads and also control the movement of commercial vehicles on the roads, adding that the process will ensure a more organized system of transportation in the Tema Metropolis. He announced another meeting on Saturday between the TMA officials and the drivers to reach a consensus. Story by Maame Esi Thompson/Adom FM