The Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC) has indicated that it would not approve proposed transport fare hikes by some driver unions until a liter of fuel goes above GH¢23.
Two transport unions, the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana and the Transport Operators of Ghana, announced an increase in transport fares, effective Saturday, April 13, 2024, in response to the recent surge in prices of petroleum products.
But while describing the increment as illegal, General Secretary of the GRTCC, Emmanuel Ohene Yeboah explained that the drivers disregard for a fare reduction directive in 2022 despite a significant drop in prices of petroleum products means the Council cannot approve any increment fares until fuel prices exceed levels they were when an increment was last approved.
“For the record, last time we increased transport fares, fuel was GH¢23.45 per litre, and that was in October 2022 and It has since dropped,” he told Francis Abban on the Morning Starr.
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“As the standard protocols, when it goes beyond 10% from the previous increase, we trigger discussions for an increment, same way, when it comes down by 10%, we trigger reductions,” he further explained.
Emmanuel Ohene argues that the recent fuel price increment, per their analysis, has no effect on the operational cost of public transport vehicles but is an erosion of an illegal profit margin.
“The last time it came down to GH¢15, which was more than 25% decrease, we called on our members to reduce fares by 10% to accommodate the drop in fuel price so the passenger can also have some relief. We tried every means possible, but our driver didn’t comply.”
“So what we are seeing is not an increase in the operational fees but rather an erosion of their illegal gain,” he emphasized
“So what we see, until the fuel gets to GH¢23 and above, per the standing regulations and protocols, we don’t have to increase transport fares,” Emmanuel Ohene insisted.
Meanwhile, the GRTCC has thrown its support behind the Transport Ministry’s call for the arrest of drivers who increase their fares.
