The Deputy public relations officer for Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Samuel Amoah, has warned that drivers who charge fares beyond the approved 8% increment will face internal sanctions if they belong to the union.
Speaking to Isaac Addae on Morning Starr on Starr FM, GPRTU Deputy PRO Samuel Amoah said the union investigates complaints against its members and takes action against drivers found to be flouting the approved fare adjustment.
“When we receive such a report and they fall under our union, number one, we have internal sanctions to every member of the union who flouts our law,” Mr Amoah said.
He explained that the union has provided its branches with the necessary calculations to guide drivers in implementing the 8% increase.
He said branch officials are expected to use the calculations provided by the national office to determine the appropriate fares.
“For instance, my branch Ashaiman Traffic Light that I will check on the document that the national office brought. Then I will use that one to do my calculation,” he said.
Mr Amoah said the union also follows up on complaints from passengers to establish whether drivers are charging fares outside the approved adjustment.
He cited a complaint received last Saturday which prompted the union to deploy officials to verify the situation and engage the leadership involved.
He acknowledged that some drivers may arrive at different amounts when calculating the 8% increment, particularly because of difficulties involving small-denomination coins.
Using an example of an 8% increase on an GH¢8 fare, he noted that the calculation produces 64 pesewas, which can be difficult to collect in practice.
Mr Amoah, however, stressed that drivers who charge fares outside the approved calculation should not be taken as representing the position of the union.
He explained that some drivers do not belong to any of the transport unions, making it difficult for the GPRTU to sanction them.
According to him, when complaints involve such drivers, the union checks its records and, where the driver is not affiliated with the union, forwards the complaint to the nearby police for the necessary action.
Mr Amoah maintained that the presence of some non-compliant drivers does not mean the union has misled the public, insisting that its members have been instructed to adhere to the agreed 8% fare increment.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Pamela Quayson
