Drivers do gain from increases in transportation fares, according to Godfred Abulbire, general secretary of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU).
He claims that they would prefer lower fuel prices.
We don’t really gain from the fare increments, he claimed.
A group going by the name of the worried drivers union gave warning of a 30 percent increase in transportation costs starting on September 21 earlier this week.
Abulbire pointed out that as the choice to raise the tariffs has not yet been taken, the announcement was inappropriate.
“From May, we increased fares and the fuel margin was around GH¢11.29. It moved to GH¢13 and fuel moved to about GH¢14.49. We never heard of any member of a union agitating for fare increments.
“It moved from GH¢14.49 back to GH¢13.20, and now it has moved back to 14.50. It hasn’t made any change yet,” he explained.
However, the Union stated that since prices of fuel and other products have increased, they may demand an increase in transport fares.
Therefore, he instructed, “We are to do a survey with the other components I just listed, and if fuel lubricants have increased, if spare parts have increased, then we have justification to submit a report and request a fare increase.”
As things stand, he emphasized, “our drivers would rather that we engage on a specific move to ask the government to cut [fuel] prices than going to merely ask for rate increments.
