GPRTU Hints At Fare Hike

The Ghana Private Road and Transport Union (GPRTU) has hinted that transport fares would be increased before the end of this year.

Even though the expected percentages increase and how soon they are going to announce the new fares were not made known to the Chronicle, Mr. Charles Ackumah, General Secretary of the GPRTU, who spoke to the paper last Friday on his cell phone, said GPRTU is processing a new fare with the Ministry of Transport.

He gave the impact of an increased transport fare on the national economy as reason why the GPRTU has not actually come up with new transportation fares.

But while the GPRTU is yet to announce an increase in the current lorry fares, drivers plying some of the major routes in Accra and its surrounding areas have begun hiking the fares.

Chronicle has gathered that, for instance, passengers travelling from Adenta, a suburb of Accra to the Kwame Nkrumah circle and the Accra-Tema station are being charged ?1,500 by some of the drivers instead of the current ?1,000.

Also passengers travelling from Adenta to Maamobi/ Nima are being charged ?1,200.00 instead of the ?1,000 existing approved charge.

Adentans and passengers travelling on the Adenta-Circle/Accra routes and Maamobi/Nima are not the only affected people, as residents of some parts of Accra, like Dansoman, are also being charged similarly.

Instead of the ?700 approved fare, they are now being charged ?1,000.00 by some drivers.

Chronicle learnt that aggrieved passengers who attempt to question the authority upon which they have increased these fares are often told that once the Government can import vehicles (mass transportation system) and charge ?1,000 from a boarding point to any point other than the direct destination, "why can't they do the same?"

Another phenomenon, which Chronicle learnt has characterized the drivers' behaviour, is the short distance stopping.

Knowing fully well that their intended destination is, say, from Adenta to Circle, they will tell the passengers that they are stopping at the Zongo Junction, an intersection on the Accra-Dodowa road.

Upon arrival they will call on passengers for the nearest point to 37 Military Hospital and so on.

As a result a passenger may end up paying almost ?2,500 to cover a ?1,000 distance.

When pushed whether the GPRTU was aware of this development, the General Secretary said, "We have heard this as a rumour but have directed those involved to stop and wait until the new fares are announced."

Asked whether he could describe the behaviour of these drivers who are plying a direct destination but pretend to be bound for a short distance as indiscipline, Ackumah said: "You see, the mass transportation service in some places is taking more than what these drivers usually take and in this case some of them strongly feel that they should also increase their fares, but I won't describe that as indiscipline.

All I can say is that they should exercise patience until the new fares are announced."