The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has called on the general public to prepare for another increment in transport fares in the coming days.
According to the Head of the Communications outfit of GPRTU, Abass Imoro, the decision to increase fares has been necessitated by the sharp surge in the price of fuel at the pumps.
Barely a month ago, transport fares shot up by some 30 per cent across the country following what Driver Unions described as a consistent increase in the price of fuel at the pumps. The drivers among others argued that the increment affects their profit margins further compounding their hardships.
With the recent weekly increment in fuel prices, the GPRTU executives are said to be deliberating on the percentage of adjustments to be added to the existing fares.
“When we came out with this current adjustment, fuel price was at GH₵7.990 [per liter], so we are waiting for the 10 percent ratio so if it crosses to the GH₵8.8 [per litre], we will come out with a new price. That is the only way we can sustain our transport industry,” Abass Imoro told Accra-based Joy News’ Kwetey Nartey.
Blaming the government for the frequent transport fare adjustment, he said “we came up with this strategy which would have helped, we wouldn’t have gotten to where we are today, because internally, we have created our taxes, levies, and margins of which we engaged government about. If the government listened to us or was able to do something about it, we wouldn’t be here. So we need to do this to sustain our members.”
Source: thenewsroomonline.com