Drivers, transport managers excited about new fares

Transport service providers and drivers are expressing gratitude for what they say is an adherence to their long-overdue call for an increase in transport fares, even though they expected the increase to be more than the 10% which has been announced.

Transport service providers including the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council announced that effective this week they will be implementing a 10% increase in transport fares across the country.

This morning Ghanaweb visited some lorry stations around Kwame Nkrumah Circle including the Neoplan station, the Odawna station and the Jeoun VIP bus station, to speak to commuters and transport operators on how they are adjusting to the new fares.

“It is good because our income is going to go up. The passengers also understand us, we are adhering to the 10% increment. We use to take GHC4.50, now we take GHC5.” A taxi driver operating between Circle and Dansoman told Ghanaweb.

At the VIP Jeoun bus station, where some passengers travelling to Kumasi revealed that their usual GHC45.00 fare has seen an addition of GHC5, the General Manager, Frimpong Manso said VIP Jeoun Transport Company Limited has released a revised list of transport fares incorporating the 10% increase.

The Biakoye GPRTU Chairman at the Neoplan Station, Augustine Adjei told Ghanaweb that contrary to the notion that drivers get happy whenever there is an increase in fares, it is something they dread since they have dependents who are transport service users, as well as having to deal with some uncooperative passengers whenever there is an increase in fares.

At the Odowna station, a driver who spoke to Ghanaweb said, business has been slow since morning, indicating that to be a result of the increment. He said passengers take time to adjust whenever there is an increment in fares and therefore expected business to resume to normalcy in a week time.