Drivers at the Atibie-Nkawkaw taxi rank in the Kwahu South Municipality of the Eastern Region have decided to increase transport fares due to increased demand as a result of the Kwahu Easter induced gridlocks.
Before the Easter celebration, passengers were charged GH¢10 from Nkwakaw to Atibie but passengers are now charged GH¢15 for the same distance.
There has been a heavy vehicular traffic in almost all the towns in the Kwahu due to the Easter celebration.
Drivers have had to spend a lot of time maneuvering through the gridlock.
For the drivers, since they cannot move at their usual speed to cash in on the occasion due to the traffic, it was necessary for them to increase their fares to cater for their fuel cost.
Some of the drivers told Graphic Online that they would revert to the old fares right after the Easter celebrations.
One of the drivers, Kofi Yeboah who plies the Atibie-Nkawkaw route, said the Easter traffic was making their business unprofitable.
“Because of the slow movement of vehicles due to the heavy traffic build up, it is causing us so much in terms of fuel cost,” Mr Yeboah said.
Another taxi driver, Amoah Tawiah, said the increment was very reasonable because of the Easter occasion since their vehicles could not move freely like they used to do during normal days.
Some passengers who spoke to Graphic Online said it was not right for the drivers to take extra monies from them.
One of the revellers, Akosua Korang, a native of Atibie who lives in Accra said it was not good for the taxi drivers in the area to increase their fares since there had not been any increase in fuel cost.
For her, the taxi drivers were making things difficult for revellers to move freely and enjoy the celebration.
“Don’t take advantage of the Easter celebrations or heavy traffic build up to increase taxi fares because you are also making things difficult for people to enjoy the celebration,” she said.