A driver and his mate at Nungua on Saturday were nearly beaten by angry passengers, when they increased the fare from 800 cedis 2,000 cedis to Accra from Nungua.
The commercial LT bus, which, according to some of the passengers, was supposed to load four passengers on a row and charge 1,000 cedis but the mate asked them to sit five on the same row and pay 2000 cedis.
The situation became worse, according to the source when the driver asked whether the passengers knew that there were increases in fuel prices.
Some of the passengers challenged the driver and that it was not prudent for the drivers to determine their own prices without waiting to hear from the head of the GPRTU.
When the situation became tense, the passengers were asked to pay 1,500 cedis and sat five on row.
Briefing GNA in Accra, a passenger who only gave his name as Mr Antony said some drivers at Nungua have taken undue advantage of the recent alleged fuel hoarding to charge arbitrary fares without any justification.
He said, he joined the same car from Tema station to Nungua last Tuesday and the driver charged them 1,700 and was not surprised that the passengers were asked to pay 2,000 cedis.
Similarly, some passengers from Teshie to Accra were made to pay 2,000 cedis instead of the previous 700 cedis.
Long queues of passengers were a common sight at the lorry parks in Teshie, and a number of passengers travelling from Teshie to Accra, had to pass through the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and the 37 Military Hospital to get on other vehicles to continue their journey.
Passengers have called on the transport unions to publish the approved new fares as early as possible to avoid drivers' taking advantage of the delay to exploit passengers.
