Commercial drivers in Accra reluctant to implement new fares; GPRTU silent

Commercial transport operators in Accra are reluctant to implement the announced 10 per cent reduction in transport fares.

Road transport operators on Monday announced a 10 per cent reduction in fares to commiserate with the decline in prices of petroleum products over the period.

The new fares, to be implemented by shared taxis, intra-city (trotro), intercity (long distance) and haulage vehicles, are supposed to take effect today, Wednesday, May 17, 2023.

Meanwhile, information gathered by the Ghana News Agency indicates that commercial transport operators in Accra are still charging the old fares.

Commuters who had anticipated a reduction on Wednesday morning were left disappointed as the transport operators claimed that the new fares had not officially taken effect contrary to what was announced.

In separate interactions with some commercial drivers, they said although they had heard about the reduction in the media, their leadership had not officially communicated it to them in writing.

Some drivers also disagreed with the reduction, claiming that the cost of other variables such as lubricant, repairs, and spare parts had gone up over the period.

Other drivers bemoaned the high cost of living especially prices of food items and stated that they would not reduce their fares until traders did same on the market.

Mr Samuel Tetteh, a commercial driver at the Tema Station in Accra, expressed dissatisfaction about the reduction in fares, describing it as unfair to drivers.

“Upon hearing the news, I became sad because it is not always about fuel, we buy spare parts, we do other things to the cars, and we have a family that we take care of. Reduction won’t help, they should do something about it,” he said.

Another driver, Agbesi Mawutor, at the Accra-Ho GPRTU Station, said drivers were not making enough money from the transport business and thus, the reduction could worsen their condition.

“There is no work nowadays, and getting passengers after early morning rush hour is difficult. This reduction is a big problem for us, and I think something should be done about it,” he said.

Some commuters told the GNA that they bargained with some conductors this morning over the implementation of the new fares to no avail.

They described the reluctance of the road transport operators as deliberate and appealed to the leadership of the various transports unions to crack the whip.

“I heard the news yesterday but this morning I was charged the same fare, which I don’t understand. I tried to find out from the driver, but I was told the template for the new fares is not in,” Evelyn Asare, a resident of Nungua, said.

Mr Kelvin Agyetey, a resident of Madina said: “The fare is the same even though I have no idea about the reduction. There was misunderstanding between some of the passengers and the driver this morning,” he said.

GPRTU officials refused to speak to the issue.

Source: GNA