Drivers’ unions and stakeholders react negatively to 15% fare increase
Adnan Adams Mohammed
Almost all the known Drivers and Transport owners in the
country including other stakeholders have reacted negatively to the
government’s decision to allow commercial transport fares to be increased by 15
percent effective last week Staurday, July 11, 2020.
According to the unions, they needed percentage increment
more than what the government has allowed explaining that, it will really
affect their operations and general income at a time when all other goods and
services prices are frequently being increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Notable among the unions is the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU)
which expected a 50% increment due to increased fuel prices and cost of
spare-parts and other material used in running the business.
Most Ghanaians have lamented and shared their grievances and
fears that, a transport price increase could affect the price of goods and
services. The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has asked the Transport
Ministry to immediately rescind its decision. According to COPEC, the new
directive which was announced by Deputy Transport Minister, Titus Glover and
yet to be rolled out is unjustified. The dictatorial role played by the
transport ministry he said, only aggravates the burden of commercial vehicle
drivers since fuel prices keep surging.
“Whatever increases should be halted immediately forthwith
and let us find a more lasting solution than these increases,” the Executive
Secretary of COPEC, Duncan Amoah has said.
“Things only go up in this country without a corresponding
remedy to bring it down when the factors or conditions necessitate it coming
down and that for us is problematic and so we do not support these increases we
are seeing. We think it is unjustified, we think that any attempt to also twist
the arms of these drivers from their 20%, 30% or 50% by the ministry cannot be
grounded in law because you are not bearing their input cost so you cannot bear
their output numbers equally by determining 15%,” he added.
Dr. Amoah advised that the Ministry needs a comprehensive
database on transport operators to be able to devise a lasting solution that
specifically meets their needs to stop drivers from always demonstrating to get
their pleas heard.
“A section of the drivers say they won’t agree so there’s
chaos and we think that this chaos could have easily been resolved if the
government had built a comprehensive database that allows the government to
target the public transport operators,” he said.
The Deputy Transport Minister, Daniel Titus Glover last week
noted that, the various drivers’ unions presented a petition to the ministry on
Monday and were promised that the issue will be looked into.
It was after a meeting between the Transport Ministry and
other stakeholders Mr Glover disclosed, that it was agreed for the fare to be
increased by 15 percent across the board.
“It is obvious that transport operators have sacrificed to
ensure that the nation fights COVID-19, and therefore the state also has to put
in some measures to ensure they are not worse-off while they continue to ensure
social distancing in their vehicles and invest in getting PPE, sanitisers and
handwashing materials at the stations to help fight COVID-19.
“The decision takes effect last week Saturday, July 11. We
are going to ensure that all the COVID-19 protocols are still practiced at all
transport station across the country. Just as is done anytime there is an
increase like this, authorities at the station have been asked to print the new
rate and paste it at the various stations – and also in cars to prevent any
argument,” the Deputy Transport Minister said.
However, members of the Sofoline Drivers’ Union in Kumasi in
the Ashanti region have rejected the 15% transport fare increment amidst
threats to demonstrate against the Ghana Private Road and Transport Union
(GPRTU) National Chairman and the Transport Minister if the percentage is not
reviewed upwards.
They lament that the 15% increase is woefully inadequate to
cover the cost of fuel price hikes, social distancing directive, amongst others.
Chairman of the group Albert Boamah accused the national
leadership of GPRTU of conniving with the transport ministry to force the 15%
on drivers. He insisted that, his members will be forced to defy the COVID-19
protocol by loading passenger to full capacity if nothing is done immediately.
Meanwhile, the Industrial Relations Officer of the Greater
Regional Branch of GPRTU, Abass Ibrahim Moro has thrown his support behind his
colleagues in the Ashanti region.
Alhaji Imoro said: “Someone is saying this is the first
upward transport adjustment in 2020 without proper explanation to drivers so we
have every right to stand against it.
“GPRTU is a democratic union, when Ghana was not practising
democracy, when we were in an era of coups, GPRTU was practising democracy so
it is their right to demonstrate because to be honest with you, we were looking
for something around 30, 40, 50 per cent increment and our leadership came up
with this 15%.
This is because currently, no one controls fuel prices. All
the filling stations have different prices…”
Also, members of the True Drivers Union have rejected
government’s 15% transport fares increment insisting it will rather stick with
30% hike.
“We’ll not back down; the 30 per cent is what we’re working
with, Spokesperson for the union, Yaw Barima fumed.
He threatened that they will picket at the Transport
Ministry, should any driver be arrested for charging the 30 per cent increase
in transport fares being demanded by the drivers.
“We’ll mass up at the Ministry if they dare arrest any
driver. Any driver who’ll be arrested should reach us on 0500312104, and we’ll
mobilize our members and storm the Ministry,” Yaw Barima threatened.
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