Hassan Tampuli, the Deputy Minister of Transport, has asserted that there is no justification for the recent hike in lorry fares.
The Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana has announced a 15 percent increase in transport fares, scheduled to take effect on Monday, July 22, 2024.
The association attributes this fare hike to the escalating cost of fuel, with some oil marketing companies now retailing products at prices exceeding GH₵15.
Additionally, the rising prices of essential items, such as spare parts crucial for the transport business, have also influenced this decision.
However, in a conversation with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Friday, Tampuli emphasized that the current petroleum prices do not justify an increase in lorry fares.
“There hasn’t been any need for any adjustments in lorry fares currently. There is no justification for any attempt to increase transport fares as of today. If you recall sometime back price of petroleum products had gone back to about 23 before. Now lorry fares were adjusted accordingly. As of now, we have petroleum products going for about 14, 15 so there is no justification.”
“We are currently buying petroleum products for about 8 or 9 less than it had ever gone up to. So I am not too sure whether anybody can have any justification as to why we should have any [increment],” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has advised Ghanaians to ignore the 15% increase in transport fares announced by the Transport Operators Association.
While GPRTU recognizes the impact of rising petroleum product prices on transportation costs, it insists that fare increases can only be implemented following proper stakeholder engagement, which has not yet taken place.
GPRTU has therefore instructed commercial transport operators to comply with the existing fares.
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