Transport operators increase fares following fuel price hikes

Consequently, a fare of 20Gp is now 25Gp; 80Gp is now 90Gp, while GH¢1.25 increases to GH¢1.35.

Fares for inter-city or long distance travels have been incrementally varied with additions of 25, 35,  40, 45 and 70 Ghana pesewas over previous fares.

A fare of GH¢1.45 is now GH¢1.70; GH¢1.55 is now GH¢1.85; GH¢1.85 increases to GH¢2.20; GH¢2.10 increases to GH¢2.50; GH¢2.50 increases to GH¢2.95 and GH¢3.95 goes up to GH¢4.65.

For taxis, a distance of between one kilometre and 2.5 kilometres attracts GH¢0.70, an increase of 10Gp over the previous fare of 60Gp, while the fare for a distance  between 2.5 kilometres and 23.5 kilometres increases from GH¢2.75 to GH¢3.20.

Averagely, taxi fares have gone up by about 15.79 per cent.

The periodic adjustment in transport fares after increases in fuel prices is to prevent exorbitant increases by commercial drivers.

The General Secretary of the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC), who is also the Spokesperson for the GRTO, Alhaji Aliyu Baba, told the Daily Graphic that the announced increases had come with a lot of consideration for passengers.

He said the price of fuel was just one component of the cost of running a vehicle, the others being the cost of spare parts, lubricants, tyres, insurance cover, as well as taxes.

He said in some cases increases of just 5Gp had been made, taking into consideration the number of passengers a vehicle took and the distance covered.

Thus for high occupancy vehicles such as those that commute from Accra to Kaneshie, minimal increases had been made, Alhaji Baba said.

A press statement that accompanied the release said road transport operators were to comply with the new fares and post the fare list at their loading terminals to avoid confrontation between drivers and travellers and commuters.

The statement was signed by the General Secretary of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Mr Stephen Okudzeto; the National Chairman of the  GPRTU, Alhaji Yaw Manu; Alhaji Baba, and the National Chairman of the GRTCC, Mr Ben Amoabeng Peprah, on behalf of road transport operators.

Story by Caroline Boateng

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