Commuters in Ghana may soon feel the pinch at the lorry station. The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has sounded a cautious warning: if fuel prices go up, transport fares will likely follow.
The alert came on March 15, when the union’s Industrial Relations Officer, Abass Imoro, sat down for an interview to address growing concerns about the cost of moving people across the country.
He revealed that some drivers, already buckling under rising operating expenses, had taken matters into their own hands by quietly hiking fares without authorization. The union, however, was quick to intervene, rolling back those increases and restoring the officially approved rates.
Drivers had held onto hope that the recent weakening of the dollar would bring some relief, particularly on the cost of lubricants and other essential inputs. That hope, Mr. Imoro admitted, has largely gone unfulfilled. Prices have remained stubbornly high, and the financial pressure on transport operators continues to mount.
Still, Mr. Imoro was keen to reassure the public that the union would not act in haste. Should fuel prices rise and trigger a review of fares, he said, the leadership would first take time to study market trends before announcing any changes, a measured approach aimed at protecting commuters from sudden, unplanned increases.
But the clouds on the horizon are darkening. Duncan Amoah, Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers, has issued a stark warning: petrol and diesel prices could surge to between 13 and 15 cedis per litre. He pointed to supply disruptions fuelled by escalating tensions in parts of the Middle East as the key driver behind the anticipated spike.
For everyday Ghanaians who depend on commercial transport to get to work, school, and market, the coming weeks may demand closer attention, and perhaps a tighter grip on their wallets.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com