The Bimbilla branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) is defying the government’s directive of a 10 percent reduction in transport fares.
Upon the announcement by President Nana Akufo-Addo for transport operators to return to loading full capacity, the Transport Ministry after negotiations with the driver unions agreed on a 10 percent reduction in fares.
But transport operators in Bimbilla have not adhered to the directive.
Passengers in the area are therefore calling on authorities to ensure that the fares are reduced.
One of them indicated that: “the price is still high here. This is the third time I am going to town so we plead with them to do something about it and reduce it.
“We saw a price increase from GHp50 to GHp80 and it is really affecting us. So they should decrease it”, another said.
Meanwhile, the GPRTU in Bimbilla says they are yet to receive directives from their leaders in Accra and Tamale to reduce fares.
Sulemana Zakaria, the secretary of the GPRTU in Bimbilla told Citi News that: “Normally, we are not the ones to reduce the fare. It is rather from Accra. They are those who determine the price change. So we are yet to hear from them on what to do”.
Transport fares were with effect from August 1, 2020, reduced by 10 percent after operators were allowed to return to normal business.
Before this new directive, transport fares increased by 15 percent in July because operators were struggling with the limit on passengers as a result of the social distancing brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fuel prices had also begun to increase after initial drops during the onset of the pandemic.
But President Akufo-Addo, on Sunday, July 26, 2020, announced that commercial vehicles could now take their full capacity.
What followed were calls from the public asking transport operators to revert to the old fares.