Transport fares will not go up despite increased fuel prices - GPRTU

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has allayed the fears of the general public over possible transport fare hike in line with fuel price increments. The GPRTU has assured the public that their outfit has no plans (yet) of increasing lorry fare prices even though fuel prices have gone up severally over the period.

Speaking to Citi FM's Umaru Sanda Amadu on the Citi Eyewitness News, Abbas Ibrahim Moro, Industrial Relation Officer of the GPRTU disclosed that the GPRTU will not be introducing any changes in transport fares and that the public should not entertain any such fears.

He was being interviewed on Citi FM in Accra following the poor patronage of a demonstration organized by the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), the Commercial Workers Union (ICU) together with some drivers to register their displeasure with what they describe as the “persistent increase in the price of petroleum products in the country.”

Giving reasons why his outfit did not join the demonstration, he disclosed that the GPRTU did not join the fuel price demonstrations organized by COPEC and ICU because “anytime we (GPRTU) struck, people, die everywhere… go to the hinterlands and see, they rely on our people”, for which reason, he said GPRTU decided against joining the demonstration. They, therefore, encouraged their members to stay at post at their various lorry stations to keep the country running, he told Umaru Sanda Amadu.

Abbas Ibrahim Moro, the Industrial Relation Officer of the Union said GPRTU was “monitoring and in negotiation” with government over some of the issues COPEC and ICU was demonstrating on, concluding emphatically that “there will be no lorry fare increments; I can fully assure you of that”, he said on the flagship radio program aired nationwide.

Three days ago, some commercial drivers in the capital city, Accra accused the government of unfair treatment following what they described as “secret increases in fuel prices.” The drivers complained that fuel price increment is making their lives as drivers difficult.

Most of the drivers who fall under the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) told the media that they are unable to increase transport fares to correspond with increasing fuel prices because their leadership has directed them to wait.