The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has defended its decision not to increase transport fares, saying operators reached an agreement to maintain existing fares after government reduced the prices of diesel and petrol.
The union said transport operators had initially considered increasing fares by 20%, but the plan was abandoned after the government reduced fuel prices.
Speaking to Isaac Addae on Morning Starr, Deputy Public Relations Officer of the GPRTU, Samuel Amoah, said transport operators subsequently issued a communiqué assuring the public that fares would not be increased.
“When we all agreed previously that we were not going to increase fares, that was after we had initially intended to increase them by 20%. When the President also came in by taking two cedis from diesel and 36% from petrol, we all agreed. We came out with a communiqué that we were not increasing transport fares,” he said.
The decision, however, came under pressure after the union discovered that VIP had subsequently increased its fares.
Mr Amoah said the GPRTU raised the matter with the Transport Ministry after verifying that VIP had introduced an increase.
“Later, we found out that VIP has come out with an increment. We went to the Transport Minister to complain that this is what we are hearing, and we have gone there to verify that VIP has increased their fares,” he said.
According to Mr Amoah, the Transport Ministry promised to engage the leadership of VIP and ensure that the new fares were reversed.
“The Transport Ministry also gave a promise that they are going to make sure to call the leadership of the VIP to reverse their prices, of which they couldn’t do that,” he said.
He said the failure to reverse the VIP fare increase subsequently triggered agitation among some transport operators, particularly those operating high-occupancy buses along similar routes.
Mr Amoah said operators questioned why they should continue to maintain existing fares when another operator on the same routes had increased its charges.
“ We also have some that ply Kumasi and all the others. And if we say we are not increasing fares, and you allow them to increase fares, then it will not be fair with most of our drivers,” he said.
Despite the concerns, Mr Amoah said the GPRTU managed to engage its drivers and persuaded them not to follow the fare increase.
“We managed to talk to our drivers for them not to do that,” he said.
The Deputy PRO maintained that the union remains committed to its decision not to increase fares and called for support from the relevant authorities to ensure that transport operators adhere to agreed fare arrangements.
He said the union would continue to engage its members and take action against drivers who violate its directives.
Mr Amoah also disclosed that the GPRTU has mechanisms for receiving and addressing complaints from passengers concerning its members.
He said where a complaint involves a driver or operator who falls under the GPRTU, the union intervenes and takes appropriate disciplinary action.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Pamela Quayeson
