Upper West commercial drivers reject 30% fare increase

Commercial drivers operating in the Upper West Region have objected to any fare increase that falls below 50 percent of fares prevailing before the increase in fuel prices.

To back their words most of them have already increased their fares to over 80 percent to the outcry of passengers.

Mr Nuhu Mahama, the Regional Industrial Relations officer of the GPRTU who briefed the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the drivers were not prepared to adhere to the 30 percent upward adjustment in fares announced by the government.

"A section of the drivers engaged me in a verbal war when I advised them to be modest in their increase while we await the approved fares from our national secretariat. They nearly beat me up," he said.

Mr Mahama, however, said the secretariat would enforce the new fares that would eventually be released.

The GNA found that at the Wa Central Lorry Park on Sunday the fare from Wa to Kumasi had jumped from 23,000 cedis to 35,000 cedis while Wa-Techiman was up from 10,000 cedis to 30,000 cedis.

Last Saturday passengers travelling from Wa to Tumu each paid 20,000 cedis representing 100 percent increase for a distance of 84 miles.

Almost all the Trotro drivers plying between Wa and the shorter routes had all doubled their fares.

The fare from Wa to Manwe shot up from 2,000 cedis to 4,000 cedis; Wa-Busa from 1,500 to 3,000 cedis; Wa-Sing from 1,000 cedis to 3,000 cedis and those commuting between Nadowli and Wa were paying 8,000 cedis, an increase of 4,000 cedis as at the weekend.

Mr Imam Salifu, chairman of the Wa-Hamile Trotro drivers union, said drivers plying that route had grounded their vehicles leaving passengers stranded in protest against 50 percent fare increase from 8,500 cedis to 12,500 cedis, describing it as inadequate.