Public transport users are calling on the government to stop increasing fuel prices
• Fuel prices have been increased by 7%
•GPRTU warns of a possible increase in transport fares
•An increase in transport fares won’t be fair, Trotro passengers
Petroleum prices over the weekend saw an increase of 7% even though the National Petroleum Authority has announced that it will suspend the Price Stabilization and Recovery Levy on petroleum products for two months.
The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) says, it will consider increasing transport fares before December, if fuel price hikes continue.
The recent hike in fuel prices did not come with an increase in transport fares but commercial transport users fear a possible increase in transport fares.
According to some passengers, an increase in transport fares will be a bad move since it will affect their daily budget. They posited that, current transport fares should be maintained since their salaries have not been increased.
“It is going to affect those of us who take public transport to work, our employers are not ready to increase our salaries, so paying more transportation to work in and out is going to affect us a lot,” one of them told GhanaWeb.
“That won’t be fair if it is increased again because we have budgeted, we are pleading with the government because how are we going to manage if it is increased again,” another said.
The commercial transport users are pleading with the government to suspend fuel price hikes to prevent the transport unions from increasing fares.
“If they don’t increase the prices, they will be running at a loss, so the government should stop increasing fuel prices, now transport is something else, the charges are becoming too much.”