Transport fares for most parts of the Kumasi Metropolis, have largely remained unchanged despite the 10 percent rise in public commercial transport fares announced by the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council.

This was confirmed by ground checks made by a team of reporters of the Ghana News Agency at the various commercial transport terminals.

The fares are the same as previously charged for short distant destinations. 

The story was however, different for commercial drivers plying long-distance routes as they had adhered to the 10 percent approved increases.

Kwadwo Fordjour, an intra-city taxi driver who operates from the Asafo Market to the Kejetia/Central Market, told the team that, they had decided not to increase the fares for fear of losing their businesses to the “Pragia” rickshaw operators.

“Why should we lose our jobs just because of a marginal increase of 10-20 pesewas, it does not stand to reason, it is better to stay in business with the old fares than to increase it just by a little percentage and lose business, Agya Koo, one elderly taxi driver, also remarked.

Additionally, he said, the short distance passengers were already complaining of higher fares before the increase, and “so we have decided not to increase the fares at all”

A number of “Trotro” drivers interviewed by the team, also shared the same views.