By Emmanuel Gamson, GNA
Takoradi, April 16, GNA – Commuters in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis are still paying the 30 per cent hike in transport fares since the commercial drivers have refused to reverse their illegal increment.
The Western Regional Branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) announced an increase in transport fares on Monday, April 8, to make up for increase in fuel prices and other operational costs.
However, the national GPRTU and the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC) had advised commuters not to pay such new fares, describing it as illegal and contravened the Administrative Instrument on the review of public transport fares.
A statement jointly issued by the two transport bodies said they were yet to reach a consensus with the Ministry of Transport on adjustment in fares, following recent hikes in fuel prices and other operational costs.
Nonetheless, checks by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) revealed that drivers in Takoradi were still charging the new fares.
When the GNA interacted with some of the residents, they said though they had heard of the directive from the two bodies, drivers were reluctant to charge the old fares.
Mr John Arthur, a resident, said the reluctance of the commercial transport operators to reverse the 30 per cent hike in the fares was worrying, and appealed to the leadership of the transport unions to intervene.
“I heard the news asking us not to pay the new fares, but once drivers are not ready to charge the old fares, we have no option than to pay the new one like that,” he said.
Mr Bright Delle, a National Service Person, bemoaned the hike in the transport fares, saying it affected his daily budget.
He said: “This increase in the transport fares is very outrageous because it has come at the wrong time for some of us. It has affected my already tight daily budget.”
Madam Sandra Offei, another resident, said: “Cost of living is already high, and we are being over- burdened with hike in transport fares, which I think is not fair at all.”
She, therefore, appealed to the authorities to do something about the new fares to help save them from the tussle with drivers.
Some members of Takoradi GPRTU, speaking on the matter, said they had heard of the directive from the national GPRTU and GRTCC, but their leadership was yet to officially communicate to them.
GNA