Various commercial drivers unions in Accra have received the decision by the Ghana Private Road transport Union (GPRTU) not to adjust transport fares upward with mixed reactions.
This follows the five per cent increase in fuel prices announced by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) at the weekend. The NPA said the increase was necessitated by hikes in crude oil prices on the world market, which hover around $80 per barrel. When the news about the increment broke out on Saturday, some drivers immediately adjusted their fares upward creating misunderstanding between them and passengers.
At Haasto-Ecomog, a suburb of Accra, some drivers had began charging unapproved fares, which made most commuters angry and contended that no agreement had been reached to increase fares.Mr Kofi Ayim, station master of the Madina New Road section the Tema lorry station, welcomed the GPRTU�s decision and said he would ensure compliance. He said that although it might be economically imprudent to maintain the old fares, their operations were regulated by the mother union which acted in their best interest.
Mr Frank Ansah, a driver at the Neoplan lorry station, told the Times that the decision would put pressure on the drivers since they had to work extra hard to meet their daily sales target.
He said the decision was insensitive to the already worsening plight of both drivers and commuters since they had the assurance prior to the December 2008 election that petroleum prices would be reduced drastically. The national vice-chairman of the GPRTU, Alhaji Tetteh, said branch executives who violate decision to maintain the existing fares would be held responsible. �They were part of the meeting that took the decision and as such, cannot shirk that responsibility,� he added.
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