Madina: Commuters plying the Madina-Adukrom stretch have strongly protested the unauthorised increase in fares by a section of the Madina Akuapem-Akropong Branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU). They contend that though the GPRTU announced its intention to increase fares by 20 percent about a month ago, the decision has not taken effect yet.
According to Ghana News Agency, fares have increased from GHC 14.00 to GHC 18.00 and GHC 16.00 to GHC 20.00 from Madina to Akropong and Madina to Adukrom respectively. At the time of filing this report, it was yet to come to light whether other operators at the Madina terminal have taken similar decisions after a random check at the station.
Engaging passengers on an Adukrom-bound vehicle from the Madina terminal in an interview after heated exchanges in the vehicle over the increase, they argued that if the situation was allowed to persist, it would affirm the lawlessness that continues to exist in the country. They emphasized that citizens must be responsible and law-abiding for peaceful coexistence at all times.
They questioned the moral basis for increasing fares from its current threshold at a time when fuel prices have been reduced, with the likelihood of further reduction in the foreseeable future if events on the international scene are anything to go by. They called on the Chairman of the GPRTU to clamp down on all acts of lawlessness at the Madina Terminal and in the city as far as the situation was concerned.
Furthermore, they urged the authorities to sanction all persons in the transport business taking the law into their own hands and charging unapproved fares. When the GPRTU executives of the Madina station, who refused to disclose their identities, were contacted, they only spoke briefly, saying they had not authorised any fare increment. They added that passengers who experienced the situation should take the numbers of such vehicles and report them.
The position of the executives who were contacted in their office comes in sharp contrast to that of station managers occupying canopies right in front of the GPRTU office. Initially reluctant to talk, the managers justified the increase upon being pressed. According to them, they pay between GHC 25.00 and GHC 35.00 for every single moving passenger-loaded vehicle, depending on the type of commercial vehicle, which impacts heavily on their revenue.
They further explained that the fuel price reduction was marginal, adding that engine cost was exorbitant nowadays. Another justification given by the managers was that, because of the low fare, most vehicles refuse to enter the terminal to pick passengers traveling that stretch, resulting in long queues on some occasions.
Explaining further, they claim their present income situation was nothing to write home about because of their low earnings, adding that it was difficult to account for sales to vehicle owners, particularly for persons who are not transport owners. The managers added that some of them are not able to make ends meet as a result of the situation.
Finally, they asked why the government has still not come out to address their concerns to date after delaying the implementation of the official 20 percent increment after they received information the President had traveled and that their concerns would be addressed upon his return. An attempt to verify the charges mentioned in the report proved unsuccessful as persons concerned were not willing to speak out on the issue.