The Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC) has directed commercial drivers to suspend increasing transport fares until stakeholders meet to agree on a new rate.
According to the acting General Secretary of the Council, Mr Andrews Kwakye, several factors are considered before transport fare increases are decided.
He urged drivers to be patient, despite the rise in the prices of petroleum products.
“We have a biannual review of the transport fares, irrespective of fuel increases. With the fuel increases, a formal meeting will be arranged with the Ministry of Transport, which we have not had yet,’ he explained.
“We have told them a number of times that our transport fares are not only based on fuel; for that matter, if there is an increase in fuel prices, they shouldn’t hurriedly go and and increase the transport fares. Everything will be worked out in our offices then we’ll bring them the actual prices they have to charge.”
The National Chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Kwame Kuma, told Citi fm “I am telling everyone to exercise patience and stick to the old prices until the new ones come out. If there are any drivers under GPRTU who are doing that, we’ll stop them and sanction them.”
The Union has announced that transport fares will be increased as a result of the 27 per cent rise in fuel prices, following the passage of the Energy Sector Levy (ESL) by Parliament in December 2015.
The GRTCC reiterated the GPRTU’s announcement that an increase in transport fares is inevitable but added that the increase was not dependent only on the increase in fuel prices as other factors like the cedi depreciation and prices of spare parts would influence the prices agreed on.
“When you go to the spare parts markets, you’ll see how things are going on there. We have seen some increments in the prices of spare parts. I can say it will go beyond the fuel and putting all the factors together; we will get a total figure including the fuel increase” Andrews Kwakye said.
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