The General Secretary of the Borla Taxi and Tricycle Association, Max Jumbo, has called on the government and the private sector to work together to address the growing waste management crisis, saying tricycle operators are struggling to dispose of refuse as major dumping sites become inaccessible or overwhelmed.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr Jumbo said the situation has left many operators stranded, even though they continue to provide an essential service by collecting waste from households.
“We are going through a lot of challenges, and the solution lies with the government,” he said.
According to him, the challenges facing waste collectors can only be resolved through collaboration and meaningful engagement among key stakeholders.
“Except we get an organisation or company to intervene, sit down with us, have fruitful discussions on the way forward and support us, these problems will continue,” he stressed.
Mr Jumbo noted that despite the difficulties, tricycle riders, popularly known as ‘aboboyaa’ operators, continue to collect refuse from homes across the country.
“Because the challenge persists, the tricycle riders are still out there picking rubbish from households, but we don’t even have a place to send the rubbish when we carry it,” he lamented.
He pointed out that under Ghana’s laws, assemblies and municipalities are responsible for managing waste and regulating waste collection activities.
“The laws of the country state that the assemblies or municipalities manage waste, so before you can even work, you need a permit. But here we are a lot of things are not going well,” he said.
Mr. Jumbo warned that the current situation could worsen sanitation challenges if urgent interventions are not implemented.
He therefore called for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to develop sustainable solutions to the country’s waste management challenges.
“The private sector and the government should come together and push for workable solutions,” Mr Jumbo urged.
His comments come at a time when tricycle operators are experiencing severe delays in disposing of refuse following the closure, inaccessibility, or overcapacity of key dumping sites, raising concerns about the potential impact on sanitation and public health in several communities.
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