The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Progressive Transport Owners’ Association (PROTOA) say commercial transport fares remain unchanged pending the completion of consultations on a proposed adjustment.
The clarification follows reports of some commercial drivers charging passengers higher fares, particularly during peak periods, despite the absence of an officially approved increase.
Deputy Public Relations Officer of the GPRTU, Samuel Amoah, said the union had received complaints about drivers charging fares outside the approved rates, attributing the practice partly to “floating drivers” who operate outside recognised transport unions.
“Currently, there has not been any fare increment from our side, officially,” he said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday.
Mr Amoah explained that the GPRTU could not unilaterally introduce new fares, as any adjustment required consultations with the Ministry of Transport and other stakeholders.
He said the union had proposed a 30 per cent increase, but a committee comprising representatives of the GPRTU, the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC) and the Ministry of Transport had been constituted to assess the current cost of operating commercial vehicles.
The committee is expected to examine increases in operational inputs, including spare parts, and submit its findings to stakeholders before a final decision is taken.
“If the report proves that yes, things have gone high, as we are seeing, then it means that there is a possibility for us to increase fares,” Mr Amoah said.
He said the GPRTU had internal measures to deal with members who charged unapproved fares, including fines and suspension.
Mr Amoah also linked the difficulty passengers face in getting commercial vehicles during peak hours to rising vehicle maintenance costs.
According to him, the high cost of spare parts had rendered several vehicles unserviceable, contributing to a shortage of vehicles at busy periods.
He said the GPRTU had consequently appealed to the government to provide additional buses to help ease pressure on public transport services.
For its part, PROTOA also rejected the suggestion that its drivers could independently determine fares.
A leading member of the association, who requested anonymity, said fare adjustments were determined by the association’s executives in consultation with relevant stakeholders.
“Drivers do not fix fares. It is the executives of PROTOA, in conjunction with other stakeholders, that fix fares,” he said.
He said PROTOA operated under rules and regulations governing the transport sector and did not permit individual drivers to arbitrarily alter fares.
The association, he added, consulted other transport stakeholders, including the State Transport Company (STC), on fare matters.
He cited the association’s loading point at Kimbu, where fares were based on rates agreed upon by the various stakeholders rather than being independently determined by individual drivers.
“Any adjustment will have to follow the appropriate consultation process,” he added.
The two transport associations therefore maintained that any officially sanctioned fare increase would only take effect after the ongoing assessment and stakeholder consultations had been completed.
