Accept reasonable hike in transport fares – GPRTU

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union has strongly defended the sudden increment in transport fares in Ghana by the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC).

Speaking on an Accra based radio station Monday, the chairman of GPRTU, Kwame Kumah said the hike was long overdue, and asked Ghanaians to accept the new fares in good faith.

“Ghanaians should appreciate the new transport fares because we have really done well and so we need them to congratulate us instead of lambasting us. They should just accept it in good faith,” he said.

The transport operators have announced a 15% increment in transport fares effective today, February 1, 2016.

The GRTCC says the hike in fares was as a result of the increase in the prices of petroleum products on January 4, 2016.

The operators also took into consideration “cost of spare parts and maintenance, licensing, levies, charges and tolls and the almighty fuel.”

But Mr. Kumah claims the 15% increment is “reasonable”, and should have been introduced last year but was delayed to allow for negotiations between all stakeholders.