The Western regional division of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has halted a planned increase in transportation fares in the area.
This decision follows a directive from the GPRTU’s national headquarters instructing all regional branches to maintain existing transportation fares.
Also Read: EC sets dates for voters’ registration exercise, includes SALL
Earlier, local executives had announced a proposed 30 percent fare hike over the weekend to alleviate rising expenses in fuel and maintenance costs borne by drivers, despite initial instructions to hold off.
Speaking on JoyFM’s Midday program, the National Chairman of the GPRTU, Nana Nimako Bresiama, affirmed that current fares will remain unchanged until a decision is made by the national leadership.
“The transporters are meeting this evening. I have stopped them immediately. We are taking the old fares until further notice, so we are meeting on Wednesday. After Wednesday, we will give them the new prices,” he said.
The Public Relations Officer for the Western Region GPRTU, Portia Nana Yaa Owusu says there was an impending increment of 30% which was supposed to take effect on Monday, April 8, 2024.
She explained that they received instructions from the national secretariat not to proceed with the planned 30% increase in fares.
According to the PRO, an emergency meeting has been scheduled to discuss the situation and that the national secretariat will be briefed on the outcome of the meeting.
In addition, she stated that, there will surely be an increase in the transport fares.
“However, we are making it clear that the increment will come on. Since the day hasn’t closed yet, definitely we will increase it, but we are waiting for the national secretariat after the meeting.”
Also Read: Police charge Henry Fitz, 2 others, over leakage of Serwaa Amihere’s intimate video
Background
The Transport Operators Union and the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana have jointly announced a 30 per cent hike in transport fares, effective Thursday, March 7.
In a press release issued on Monday, March 4, the two organisations attributed the fare increase to the government’s failure to address their concerns adequately.
They highlighted the continuous surge in fuel prices, which has significantly impacted their livelihoods and made it challenging to sustain their operations.
