Transport fares at the Accra lorry terminal in Takoradi have shot up barely 24-hours after President Akufo Addo lifted the ban on partial lockdown in parts of the country.
The three weeks old restriction of movements in Ghana rendered most commercial drivers jobless as they could not ply the Accra and Kumasi route.
Emmanuel Ohene-Gyan with Takoradi based Empire FM who visited the makeshift lorry bay due to going construction at the main transport terminal reports that buses that used to charge GHC33 without air-conditioning and ghc35 cedis with air-conditioning previously, now charge GHC43 and GHC45 respectively.
Acolatse, a driver who mostly plies the Takoradi-Accra route argued that the increment has become necessary mainly due to the fact that they have to reduce the number of passengers due to the safety protocols.
“This bus you see here is originally manufactured to pick 15 passengers but because of President Akufo Addo’s directive we now pick 9 passengers,” he revealed.
Another driver also added that prior to the lockdown they got GHC465 cedis from the passengers who board their mini-buses but now have a deficit of 65 hence the decision to increase the fares.
However, their colleagues who ply the Kumasi route at the time of filling this story had not increased their fares.
Most of the passengers affected by the increase were unhappy about the sudden increment by the drivers but have no option than to pay.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Emmanuel Ohene Gyan