Commercial drivers at Akyem Oda in the Eastern Region have arbitrarily increased their fares, a situation which is creating untold hardships for the travelling public.
Taxi drivers at Oda were the first to create some confusion last Monday morning by temporarily withdrawing their services, compelling travellers to walk long distances to their workplaces.
When the drivers increased their fares in the afternoon, the travellers had no alternative but to bow to their unrealistic demands.
Small buses plying the Oda–Accra route now charge GH¢75 per passenger instead of GH¢70, while the big buses charge GH¢70 instead of GH¢65.
Buses plying the Oda–Kumasi route charge GH¢80 per passenger instead of GH¢70, while their counterparts from Oda to Mankessim charge GH¢50 as against the previous fare of GH¢45.
Taxi drivers plying the Oda–Akyem Achiase route charge GH¢10 instead of GH¢8, and Oda–Akyem Manso charge GH¢13 instead of GH¢10.
Taxi drivers plying Oda township have raised their fares from GH¢4 to GH¢5 per passenger, while those plying the Oda–Akyem Asene route charge GH¢6 instead of GH¢5, with passengers travelling from Oda to Akyem Aboabo now paying GH¢5 instead of GH¢4.
A leading member of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Samuel Nana Kwasi Addo, aka Nana Addo, who spoke to the Daily Graphic on behalf of the drivers, attributed the new fares to the regular increment of petroleum products, lubricants, spare parts, tyres and the bad nature of roads in the area.
Asked why they did not wait for directives from the National GPRTU Secretariat before embarking on the arbitrary act, he said commercial drivers plying the Accra–Oda route increased their fares over two months ago.
When this writer contacted the Chairman of the Oda Taxi Drivers Union, Oheneba Siaw, aka Dwen, on the arbitrary increase of taxi fares, he said he would not comment on the issue.
