Transport operators, NPA fight over new lorry fares
While controversy rages between transport operators and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) over increases in lorry fares, passengers are dissatisfied with the upward review in fares.
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According to the NPA, it felt let down by the increase in fares by the transport operators, but the leadership of the operators insists that the decision to increase fares is prudent.
Transport operators last Sunday announced a 15 per cent increase in transport fares, effective yesterday, February 1, 2016.
NPA side
The Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Mr Moses Asaga, told the Daily Graphic in an interview that the announcement of the new fares took the authority by surprise.
That, he explained, was because the NPA and the operators were still on the negotiating table and, fortunately, fuel prices were reduced between two and nine per cent over the weekend.
He said the parties — the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Petroleum, the NPA and the transport unions — were scheduled to meet yesterday to conclude the negotiations which had been ongoing for some time now, only to hear that there had been an increase in transport fares.
While the government proposed a 10 per cent increase in fares at the negotiating table, he said, the operators proposed 15 per cent, hence yesterday’s meeting to attempt to conclude the decision.
“We feel it is a breach of faith and a betrayal of the negotiation processes.There is a working plan and arrangements that we have been working with over the years and which compel every stakeholder to consult before decisions are taken,” he explained.
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Meanwhile, Mr Asaga indicated that at a meeting yesterday, the various stakeholders concluded with a draft memorandum of understanding urging the transport operators to reduce lorry fares by only 10 per cent or make sure that they did not increase fares for the rest of the year.
Also, the transport operators were expected to reduce lorry fares anytime there was a more than 10 per cent drop in petroleum prices.
Transport unions speaks
But the Chairman of the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC), Mr Peprah Amoabeng, told the Daily Graphic that “we have not betrayed the NPA, as it is claiming, because we do not base the review of transport fares on only fuel”.
Besides, he said, fuel prices were only one factor of the many components that were taken into consideration before a review was made.
“We take components such as increases in spare parts, lubricants, insurance, Driver and Vehicle Licencing Authority (DVLA) fees and others into consideration before the adjustments are made,” he said.
Mr Amoabeng indicated that the operators still stood by their decision because the Ministry of Transport had agreed to the 15 per cent increment.
Per the regulations of the transport operators, any fuel increase beyond 12 per cent warrants a corresponding fare increase.
The leadership of public transport unions had been under pressure from members to increase fares after the increase in fuel prices by 28 per cent since January when the Energy Sector Levies Act took effect.
Passengers react
Meanwhile, mixed reactions greeted the increases in transport fares.
Confusion and drama at some lorry stations and in commercial vehicles characterised the increment of fares, with drivers and their mates, on one hand, and passengers, on the other, pitted against each other.
While some drivers and transport operators were yet to implement the adjustment as of the time of going to press, others were charging more than what had been announced.
Some of the drivers and their mates claimed that it was difficult to get 5Gp change, hence their decision to round up to 20Gp.
In a vehicle from Sakumono to the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, for instance, there was confrontation between a passenger and the mate over the adjustment.
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The mate announced a new fare from GH¢2.90 to GH¢3.30, but the passenger, who said he had not heard of the announcement, refused to pay the new fare. Subsequently, he was forced to alight over his refusal to pay the new fare.
A similar incident occurred in a vehicle from Manhean, near Ablekuma, to Accra when the mate announced an increment from GH¢2.60 to GH¢3.
That sparked an argument between the passengers and the mate, with the mate insisting that the passengers pay. Some passengers refused to pay and got down, but others paid to continue the journey.
No implementation yet
At the Agbogbloshie New Market transport yard, some drivers confirmed that they had increased transportation fares, since vehicle owners had already put out new daily sales levels after the announcement by transport operators.
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One of the drivers, Mr Charles Adongo, who plies the Agbogbloshie-Tema Station route, told the Daily Graphic that passengers were not taking the increase in fares lightly at all but there was nothing the drivers could do in the circumstance.
“The old fare from Agbogbloshie to Tema Station was GHc1, but this morning it has been increased to GHc1.20. The gate fee has also been increased this morning from
GHc1 to GH₵1.50, while the car owners have increased daily sales. If drivers do not implement the 15 per cent increment, we will run at a loss,” he said.
Apart from the Agbogbloshie area, all the other transport yards visited, including Imperial Express at Abossey Okai, Kaneshie transport yard and Neoplan station, had not implemented the new fares as of the time of going to press.
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Some of the drivers said they had been informed by the leadership of the stations to exercise restraint while they worked out the right figures.
From Sunyani, Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah reports that while some drivers said they were waiting for their leaders to confer with the authorities in the region to make the computation and come up with the correct fares, others had gone ahead to increase the fares.
Some commuters in and around Sunyani told the Daily Graphic that already taxi drivers within the municipality had increased their fares from GHc1.30 to GHcC1.50
But the Regional Secretary of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Mr Kwabena Amankwaah, said no driver had been authorised to increase transport fares.
He asked drivers to wait until they were directed to do so before increasing their fares.
From Tamale, Zadok Kwame Gyesi reports that the 15 per cent increase in transport fares took effect in Tamale yesterday, amid heated arguments between drivers and some commuters.
Some commuters who said they did not hear the announcement of the new fares pleaded with the drivers to accept the old fares.
Others, however, patronised tricycle motorbikes, popularly known as "Mahama Camboo" or the Motor King for the haulage of goods.
In the Tamale metropolis, the increases in transport fares generated a stiff competition among the operators of Mahama Camboo, Motor King and taxi cabs, as there were no
"trotros" in the metropolis, compared to other regional capitals such as Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi.
When contacted, the Industrial Relations Officer of the Northern Regional Secretariat of the GPRTU, Alhaji Salifu Mashoud, said the new fares took effect yesterday and that all transport operators must comply with the approved fares.