Confusion at lorry parks as drivers charge unapproved fares

Due to the consistent increment of fuel in the country, transport owners and drivers have taken new measures to charge unlawful and unapproved fares without the any notification from appropriate quarters or Unions in the transportation sector.

Last night, drivers at circle lorry main station started to charge new fares which generated a heated argument and misunderstanding between the drivers, commuters and passengers but later they (passengers) succumbed to pay the new fare.

According to the drivers, since the government machinery, the transport Ministry, has refused to heed to their claims and frustrations, they have no choice than to set their own fares in order render their business running.

“we can’t wait anymore on government to set a new transport fares for us because our business is dying and if care is not taken we’ll run out of business. Our transport business is in a turmoil and if we don’t act fast things will get out of hand”, One driver said.

Currently, though not all drivers have increased their fares, it seems most of them has taken the bold step to follow the trend to charge the unapproved fares in some parts of the lorry stations.

Meanwhile, when contacted the Communication Director of Ghana Private Roads Transport Union (GPRTU) at the Greater Accra branch, Imoro Abass said, though the Union had hint of the unapproved fares being charged by their members, they are in dilemma and cannot stop them from such unlawful act.

He claimed that, since another transport service like VIP JEOUN can boldly issue a communique of increasing it’s transport fares even though the Unions is on the negotiation table with government to come out with a new upward adjustment in transport fares, GPRTU cannot ask it’s members to desist from charging the unapproved fares even though it’s illegal .

“we’ve been negotiating with government on this same increment or upward adjustment of transport fares and suddenly, the VIP came up with new fares without any compromise from the appropriate quarters and nobody had questioned such action, not even the Ministry of Transport, so how can you question or stop your members if they are also taking the same steps to alleviate them from poverty?”, he quizzed.

Meanwhile, the Communication Director further noted that upon conclusion of the negotiations with government, they agreed on 19 percent increment on transport fares which takes effect from October 29.

“but we cannot ask our members to base their charges on the 19 percent because a new trend has taken shape and unless the intervention of government, the lawlessness of charging new fares by members will continue to hold”, he noted.

Source Eric Nii Sackey