The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) will meet with the Transport Ministry on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, to discuss proposals to raise transportation prices.
The meeting has become necessary as a result of GPRTU’s announcement that it has initiated a public awareness campaign on a potential fee increase.
The union’s General Secretary, Goldfred Abulbire, spoke with Citi News about the approaching meeting.
“We have done our survey, so we are going to meet the Minister. So the outcome of the meeting could be that, the fares may not be increased. Fare increment is not in our interest because it affects us. We have not made any proposal yet, but we are going to meet the Minister”, he said.
The GPRTU has previously denied rumors that the union is meeting with the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council to discuss the latter’s plan to raise transportation fares.
The union suggested that it has started preparing the public for a potential hike in fares as a result of the persistent rise in fuel costs.
Abass Imoro, the union’s Industrial Relations Officer, said that a fare increase announcement would be postponed if fuel prices stabilized.
However, he highlighted that a 10% rise in fuel costs would result in an increase in transportation fees.
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“We are sensitising the public on a possible upward adjustment and if the prices remain as it is, we have no cause for alarm.”
“But when it hits the 10 percent increase threshold, definitely, we shall come out with another upward adjustment,” Mr. Imor said.
Thus, he asserted that the government controlled the future of transportation fares.
“Should it happen, it isn’t the fault of the driver or the GPRTU,” Mr. Imoro said.
Transportation fares increased by 20% in May.
On May 9, 2022, when the new prices went into effect, the national average prices for petrol and diesel were GH9.41 and GH11.12, respectively.
The price of petrol has increased by about 10% to an average of GH10.95 per litre, while diesel has increased by approximately 14% to an average of GH13.50 per litre during the Second Pricing Window in June 2022.
SOURCE: CITINEWS
