Energy Analyst, Kojo Poku has urged the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) not to attribute its recent 20 percent upward adjustment in transport fares to increase in petroleum prices.

He noted that for the past two months, petroleum prices have not increased.

According to him, the next pricing window would rather record a reduction in fuel prices.

“What I can speak to is the volatility in petroleum prices, and even the President said these high prices are temporary…In this particular window, where people are saying prices would go up, honestly if you look at the numbers, the prices are going to come down.

“This window is not supposed to see a price increase. So I don’t know this whole agitation of if the President said he can’t decrease taxes, then we are going to increase prices, that’s their own decision, but they shouldn’t blame it on increase in petroleum prices. Because there hasn’t been any petroleum price increase,” he explained on Top Story, Monday.

According to Kojo Poku, the 20 percent increase in transport fares is unfair to commuters as there has been a 15 percent increase already in February this year.

He said there cannot be a 35 percent increase in transport fares within three months while fuel prices have been volatile for some time now.

“Now we are all aware that the hike and volatility in the petroleum prices are temporary. I mean this volatility would not last more than two to three months. For them to now increase the fare, knowing very well that if they increase the fare, they will not reduce it when prices go down, is unfair,” he said.

He stressed that the GPRTU’s decision would have been justified if petroleum prices have seen a continuous steady increase for a while.

“If we have seen a long trend of increase and we know that okay, we are at the point of no return where the prices will not come back down, then some of us would now say okay, it is fair for prices to be increased accordingly,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC) has asked the public to disregard the 20 percent fare increment imposed by the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and other unions.

In a statement on Monday, the GRTCC said no single union has the mandate to determine the percentage increase in fares.

“We wish to state that, transport fares have always been negotiated for and on behalf of all operators by the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council and the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, no single union or group has the capacity to determine the quantum of increase except the two bodies mentioned above,” portions of the statement read.