A trotro driver’s mate beckons passengers
THE GHANA Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has hinted of a possible increase in transportation fares following the recent hikes in fuel prices.
Prices
of petroleum products went up on Monday after the National Petroleum Authority
(NPA) directed the Oil Marketing Companies to start applying the revised Energy
Sector Levies.
Chairman
of GPRTU, Kwame Kuma noted that the new transport fares will soon be made
public.
“We have already met with the Transport Minister
about the increment. We visited the Minister but he was not available, so if he
comes we are going to meet and make sure that the new prices are released…There
will definitely be an increment.” He said.
The
increase in the petroleum prices is as a result of the Road Fund Levy, Energy
Debt Recovery Levy, as well as the Price Stabilization and Recovery Levy which
have been increased by about 20 per cent.
Transport
fares were last increased by the GPRTU in April 2017 by 15 percent.
The
Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) unsuccessfully petitioned the Speaker of
Parliament over the ESLA increments to get him to stop the passage by
legislators.
COPEC
in its petition said the “current fuel price increase is coming at the wrong
time.”
COPEC
hinted that it will go on a protest if the petition or dialogue fails.
COPEC’s
Executive Secretary, Duncan Amoah said: “We
will resort to some initial dialogue to ensure that whatever he [the Finance
Minister] is proposing, either Members of Parliament will reject it or not
allow it to materialise.”
“But if they still insist or push forward, we will not go on a demonstration, we will go on a sleepover.” He added.
– Citinewsroom
