Transport operators are scheduled to meet with the Ministry of Transport today, Tuesday, July 28, to push for a proposed 30 percent increase in transport fares. The demand comes as drivers struggle with the mounting pressure of escalating fuel prices and the soaring cost of vehicle spare parts.
The critical meeting follows persistent calls from commercial transport unions for an upward review of transport fares, with operators maintaining that the current economic climate makes running their businesses unsustainable.
During the engagement, the unions are expected to formally outline their challenges and negotiate potential remedies with the government.
Samuel Amoah, the Deputy Public Relations Officer for the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), confirmed the agenda ahead of the meeting during an interview with Citi FM. He emphasized that if the government fails to offer concrete solutions to cushion drivers against the fuel price hikes, the unions will push ahead with their fare adjustment demands.
“If they believe there is nothing they can do about the high cost of petroleum products, we will lay our proposed percentage on the table for negotiation. Whatever agreement we reach, we will communicate to our members,” Amoah stated.
In a related development, the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) is urging the government to urgently reinstate the fuel price intervention that was implemented during the peak of the Middle East crisis.
Duncan Amoah, the Executive Secretary of COPEC, warned that with diesel prices inching dangerously close to GH¢18 per litre, the financial strain on both operators and passengers will soon become unbearable without state action. He recalled that the previous intervention successfully provided much-needed relief by dropping diesel prices by GH¢2 per litre and petrol by GH¢2.09 per litre.
