NewzThe Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) says it is preparing to announce new transport fares by the end of this week following another increase in petroleum prices. The union’s Deputy Spokesperson, Samuel Amoah, says the decision has become necessary as transport operators continue to grapple with rising fuel prices alongside increasing costs of spare parts, lubricants and taxes. Speaking on Joy FM’s Midday News on Tuesday, September 1, Mr Amoah said the union had initially proposed a 30% increase in transport fares at a meeting in August.
However, the proposed adjustment was suspended after government announced a GH¢2 reduction in the price of diesel and assured the transport operators that measures would be taken to bring costs down. According to Mr Amoah, the expected reduction did not materialise during the middle pricing window of August, while transport operators continued to face high operating costs. He said the situation has been compounded by the latest increase in petroleum prices, leaving the union with little room to maintain the current fares.
“Going forward, there is nothing we can do than to come out officially by increasing the fares for our drivers to also continue doing their business,” he said. Mr Amoah said the union will first assess the latest fuel price changes at the pumps before its leadership takes a final decision on the new fares. “The leadership will also meet to take their decision, whether we are still going by the 30%, if it will come down to 20% or whatever.
I strongly believe by the close of this week, by the end of this week, something will come out for our drivers and then our passengers to also comply with,” he added. Mr Amoah also explained that the pressure on transport fares is not solely attributable to fuel prices, pointing to the rising cost of spare parts, lubricants and taxes. The Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Duncan Amoah, says continued increases in fuel prices will inevitably put pressure on public transport fares.
According to him, transport operators are already grappling with rising diesel and petrol costs, making it increasingly difficult for them to sustain their operations without adjusting fares. Mr Amoah said the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) should therefore not be blamed for the pressure it is facing, although he cautioned against arbitrary fare increases by individual drivers. It has gotten to a point where their import costs clearly… If they are not careful, they may not be able to sustain the ferrying of people back and forth.” His comments follow reports of some transport operators increasing fares, with the GPRTU previously attributing such increases to what it described as “floating drivers” operating outside the union’s coordinated fare structure.
Mr Amoah said that while fare adjustments may become necessary due to rising fuel costs, there must be coordination to protect commuters from excessive and inconsistent charges. So there has to be a certain coordinated effort.” He warned that allowing individual operators to determine fares could create confusion and further burden commuters. Mr Amoah further urged consumers to brace themselves for the broader impact of rising fuel prices, noting that higher transportation costs could eventually translate into increased prices for goods and services.
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