The Public Relations Officer of the Concerned Drivers Union, David Agboado says the Union will be meeting with the Transport Ministry to finalise discussions on their impending transport fare hike on Thursday.

Early this month, the Union had indicated their decision to raise their fares by 30% as a result of the ever-increasing price of petroleum products in the past few months, the brunt of which they have shouldered for quite some time.

According to David Agboado, adjusting to the petroleum price hikes has become unbearable for transport operators and thus it was now necessary for some burden-sharing with commuters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xZkHXR39iU

He explained that the meeting with the sector Minister, Kwaku Asiamah had ended inconclusively as the Minister stated that he had not finished perusing the document detailing their demand for a price hike.

“The Minister was saying that the copy being given to him prior to this meeting he hasn’t go through all so we should give him up to Thursday, he’ll finish and then call us back,” he said.

He was, however, adamant that no matter what the Minister may suggest, the Union will be sticking to their target of a 30% price hike.

“In terms of calculating things that boils to the transport issue, it’s not only the fuel alone, it goes with the spare parts, the lubricants, even inflation, all those things that  -  government charges  - all those things are the things that we add up to get to the percentage we want,” he explained.

He stated that the details of how they reached their percentage target have already been submitted to the Minister, and are awaiting his response on Thursday.

Explaining why the Union needed the Ministry’s approval to hike their prices considering they were a private organization, he explained that it was due to the essential nature of the service they offer to the Ghanaian economy.

“When we increase transport fare, even not by this 30%, even by a percent or even, let me put it this way, like one pesewa addition to it, everything changes. It is that why government comes in because we can decide as transporters – because we are private entity – but when we start doing that everything in Ghana will gallop.

“When those that bring maize from Nkoranza and co. and beans from the northern part to Ghana, when you’re transporting one bag of maize from Nkoranza to Accra it’s ₵55 but when we increase it even by ₵1 making it ₵56it will have effect in the market. So government must come in and do something about it,” he said.