Gomoa-Panfokrom (C/R), May 26, GNA - The authorities of Panfokrom Women's Training Institute in the Central Region, have made an urgent appeal to the national executives of the Ghana Private road Transport Union (GPRTU), to impress upon the Agona Swedru District branch officers of the union to rescind their decision not to allow taxi drivers to operate between Gomoa-Awombrew and Panfokrom.

Madam Rebecca Ampah-Korsah, Headmistress of the Institute told the Ghana News Agency at Gomoa-Panfokrom that attempts to create permanent station at Awombrew for taxi drivers wishing to operate between Awombrew and Panfokrom on daily basis had been thwarted by the Swedru district executives of GPRTU.

Mad. Ampah-Korsah said the action of the Swedru officers had created a big transportation problem for the management and students of the institute.

She explained that the institute had not got adequate and reliable means of transport to meet the transport requirements of the students, adding that the creation of a permanent taxi rank at Awombrew would help alleviate this problem once and for all.

Mad. Apah-Korsah said the most disturbing aspect of the GPRTU district officers action was that at times when a student fell sick and the institute's small bus was immediately not available to take her to either Agona Swedru or Winneba hospital for medical attention, she had to be carried at the back to Awombrew on the Agona Swedru-Winneba Junction road a distance of about three kilometres, before they could secure a vehicle to take the victim to hospital.

Besides, parents and guardians who travel from the various parts of the country to pay visit to their wards at the institute often got stranded at the Panfokrom and Awombrew Junctiion for hours before they could obtain transport to the institute.

She said crossing taxi drivers who occasionally accept the offer to take stranded passengers from Awombrew to the Institute also charge 20,000 cedis for the three and half- kilometre journey which normally attracts a fare of 2,000 cedis.

Mad. Ampah-Korsah said the Swedru union leaders explanation for their persistent refusal to allow taxi drivers from Winneba-Junction and Agona Swedru to create a permanent taxi rank at Awombrew commuters from the various parts of the Panfokrom would no longer patronise the Agona Swedru Panfokrom trotro buses at the Agona Swedru main lorry park.