The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) is proposing a 30% increase in transport fares to tackle the mounting operational costs endured by its members amidst surging fuel prices. Samuel Amoah, the Deputy Public Relations Officer, emphasized the union’s position during a discussion titled “The Rising Cost of Fuel: Why Prepare for Further Increases” on gprtun.
He further recalled GPRTU’s earlier attempt in January to implement a 20 percent fare hike, which was met with objections from the Ministry, citing procedural discrepancies. During the earlier deliberations, GPRTU justified the proposed increase by citing various cost factors including spare parts, lubricants, DVLA, and insurance taxes.
Yet, Mr. Amoah emphasized that the recent spike in fuel prices has prompted a reevaluation of their original plan.
Consequently, given this challenging economic environment, GPRTU has altered its position, now pushing for a 30 percent fare hike.
Mr. Amoah stressed the importance of this change to ease the financial strain on drivers and maintain the viability of their operations.
He highlighted the Union’s optimism that the Ministry will recognize the urgent requirement for fare adjustments to support the livelihoods of transport operators and allow them to sustain their crucial services to the nation.
“The Ministry therefore invited us for a conversation, an invitation we accepted and presented all our reasons for the 20 percent increment. Even at that time, the fuel price wasn’t as it is now. The 20 percent we came up with earlier, we considered the cost of spare parts, lubricants, and DVLA and Insurance taxes. Those were the major components that we focused on to come up with the 20 percent increment,” he said on Tuesday.
“Our expectation on Wednesday is that, surely the Transport Ministry will agree with us so that we can increase the fares for our drivers to have peace of mind to continue serving the nation.”
In the meantime, certain drivers nationwide have begun enforcing additional fees.
Credit: MyJoyOnline
