Public transport operators threaten fare increment amid rising fuel prices

Some commercial transport operators are gearing up to increase fares by 30% should the government fail to address their concerns by Wednesday, March 6, 2024.

In a statement on Monday, March 4, 2024, the Transport Operators Union and the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana mentioned soaring fuel prices as the main reason for the proposed fare increase.

“The continuous rise in fuel prices has had a significant impact on our livelihoods, leading to financial strains and hardships in maintaining our operations,” the statement said.

The drivers also chastised their leadership and government for not being “proactive” in responding to the rising fuel prices, hence their decision to increase fares by themselves.

“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,” the transport operators added.

The full statement by the Transport Operators Union and the Concerned Drivers Association is reproduced below:

Regional Chairmen of both the Transport Operators Union and the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana are announcing our intention to consider a fare increment in response to the recent hike in fuel prices across the country.

As drivers’ associations, we expressed disappointment in the leadership for failing to address the concerns and implement fare adjustments to counterbalance the increased operational costs.

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, 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 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.

We are 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.

Failure to address these concerns by 6th March 2024 will leave us with no choice but to increase fares.