The leadership of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) is expected to meet today to deliberate on transport fares in the wake of the increasing cost of fuel.
The meeting, the first to be held this year, will assess the hikes in fuel prices and spare parts among other variables over the period to determine increment in transport fares, Mr Abass Imoro, Head of Communications, GPRTU, told the Ghana News Agency.
The Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana (C-DAG) on Monday, January 10, 2022, announced that it would increase transport fares by 40 per cent from Monday, January 17, 2022.
In a press statement, the Association said the upward adjustment had been necessitated by the rising cost of fuel, spare parts, and lubricants, increment in cost of vehicles, and high cost of living.
The GPRTU, however, dissociated itself from the statement by C-DAG, saying the C-DAG could not take such decisions for all commercial transport operators in the country.
“The issues they raise are legitimate, and it is their fundamental right to say whatever they deem necessary.
“But we dissociate ourselves from what they said. The GPRTU has not taken any decision on that. We will resume our break tomorrow. We will meet and see the way forward,” Mr Imoro said.
Outlining reasons for the proposed increment in transport fares, the C-DAG, said the “consistent increase” in fuel prices and spare parts had badly affected their business and livelihood.
“It must be noted that we also experience the economic conditions of the country. It has become extremely difficult for us to manage our homes as prices of basic commodities, including sachet water have also seen an upward increment,” it said.
“In view of this, we urge Ghanaians to side with us when the increments of transport fares take effect from Monday, January 17, 2022,” it added.
Following a surge in the price of crude on the world market, prices for petrol and diesel have seen an upward adjustment of about 10p per litre since the beginning of the year.
Both petrol and diesel are now trading at an average of GHC6.70 per litre at the pumps.
The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has projected that prices of petrol and diesel are expected to go up by 3.7 per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively, in the 1st Pricing Window of January (1st to 16th January 2022).
In nominal terms, ex-pump prices of petrol and diesel are expected to increase by 24 and 17 pesewas, respectively, it said in a statement last week.