Drivers plying Kpong/Juapong road on Tuesday appealed to the government to prevail on the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) to reduce fares charged in ferrying vehicles and cars across the Volta Lake at Ogoli and Akrade.
The GHA, operators of the ferries, charge saloon cars GHC 10.00 and other vehicles, between GHC12.00 and GHC20.00 to ferry them across the Lake.
Until the closure of the Adomi Bridge at Atimpoku on Monday those drivers paid 1.00 Ghana cedi each as bridge toll at one crossing.
Mr Moses Mornyuie, a commercial driver, led a group of drivers to make the appeal when Mr Francis Ganyaglo, Deputy Volta Regional Minister, went there to assess the traffic situation following the closure of the Adomi Bridge.
Mr Mornyuie said road transport in the area could collapse if nothing was done about the situation.
“Many of us have parked our vehicles in the past two days. Our business is trotro and we often drive empty vehicles across the Lake and cannot afford GHC12.00 for every crossing,” he said.
Traders on either side of the crossing point are said to be issuing death threats over who has the right to sell where.
At 1530 hours, the Ghana News Agency observed that there was heavy traffic at Akrade side of the Lake with drivers and passengers waiting for close to four hours while the Ogoli side of the Lake from the Volta Region was less busy, with a few vehicles in queue.
Mr Benjamin Adjei Keelson, Adomi Ferry Project Manager said the only ferry working that day made about 40 trips between 0600 hours and 1530 hours.
He was hopeful that by the end of the week, the second ferry, which has broken down on the first day of operation would be repaired to ease the traffic.