Regional Chairmen of both the Transport Operators Union and the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana have announced their intention “to consider a fare increment” in response to the recent hike in fuel prices across the country.
As drivers’ associations, the groups said in a statement issued on Monday, 4 March 2024: “We expressed disappointment in the leadership for failing to address the concerns and implement fare adjustments to counterbalance the increased operational costs.”
They complained that the “continuous rise in fuel prices has had a significant impact on our livelihoods, leading to financial strains and hardships in maintaining our operations.”
“We would like to express our disappointment in our leadership” that “despite the escalating costs of fuel, our leadership has not taken proactive measures to increase fares in line with market conditions”
“This has prompted us, regional executives, to consider fare adjustments as a necessary step to sustain our businesses”, the groups emphasised.
They aregued that the fare adjustments are “essential to ensure the financial viability of the transportation sector and to maintain the quality of service provided to the public”.
“The failure of the government to address this critical issue has left us with no choice but to consider fare increments as a means of coping with the escalating operational costs”, they noted.
The groups are also calling on the government and relevant authorities “to engage in constructive dialogue with our leaders to address the challenges faced by our sector and to implement fare adjustments that reflect the current economic realities”.
They threatened: “Failure to address these concerns by 6th March 2024 will leave us with no choice but to increase fares”.