Disregard notice of fare increment – Transport Ministry
Deputy Transport Minister Hassan Tampuli has urged the public to ignore the Concerned Drivers Association’s 15 per cent fare increase which was supposed to take effect on November 2, 2024.
According to him, fare adjustments depend on many factors and drivers cannot arbitrarily set their own figures.
The determinants of fares include fuel price, inflation, and other major economic indicators.
Speaking in an interview, Mr. Tampuli stated, “We’ve heard some noises coming from a drivers’ Union about the threat of an increase in lorry fares. I want to say here, unequivocally, that there’s no basis for any such increase in lorry fares between now and the next six months.
“The leadership are here, and they know what we do and the triggers that would arise in increasing the lorry fares. Nothing of that sort has happened. And indeed, as of this morning, Ghana is one of nine countries that have prices of petrol below one dollar… the prices that we have in Ghana are some of the lowest anywhere in the world,” he said.
However, David Agboado, the Public Relations Officer of the Concerned Drivers” Association, dismissed Mr. Tampuli’s remarks, insisting that the Transport Ministry cannot dictate when transport operators should adjust their fares.
Mr Agboado argued that increased prices of vehicles, spare parts, and fuel necessitate the planned fare hike to keep their businesses viable.
“My first question to you to ask Hassan Tampuli for me is, does he exist on this planet Earth called Ghana? The price of a vehicle has increased by more than 100%. The price of a lubricant has increased by more than 57%. You should go and check the market.
“The price of fuel has increased, so what is he saying? … We are doing business as transporters. We are not doing business as charity-running organisations… We are also charging the 15% starting on the second,” Agboado insisted.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has advised the public to disregard the fare increment notice.
The GPRTU Industrial Relations Officer, Imoro Abass, stated that fare adjustments must go through consultations with all stakeholders.
“Did they pass through the process, the procedure we use in coming up with upward adjustments in lorry fares? The answer will definitely be no… We go around, looking for prices of items we use—lubricants, spare parts, vehicle values, etc. And fuel, of course, is inclusive.
“Then after doing all these things, we come to a conclusion of what percentage we have to adjust on the lorry fares. But we don’t just come out and say we are going to increase lorry fares without going through the processes that I’ve just mentioned. So we are urging the general public to disregard their claims,” Mr Abass noted.