Drivers won’t reduce lorry fares even if fuel price is reduced - Omari Wadie

The 3rd Vice National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Michael Omare Wadie, says drivers will never reduce lorry fares even if fuel prices are reduced.

According to him, although the government reduced fuel prices at some point, the drivers never reduced lorry fares, saying the narrative will continue even if government hears the call of the drivers who are embarking on a strike.

The Coalition of Commercial Transport Operators in Ghana including the Ghana Private Road and Transport Union (GPRTU) have embarked on a sit-down strike today, Monday, December 6, 2021.

This is to get the government to scrap all the taxes on the pump price of petroleum products to ease the burden on Ghanaians.

A few weeks ago, the GPRTU and other transport unions threatened to go on strike if the government failed to ensure a reduction in the price of fuel.

They also gave indications that they would be forced to increase fares if nothing is done about the situation.

Aside from these, the unions threatened to ask their leadership to vacate their positions if they fail to do anything about the issue.

The transport unions were expected to embark on the strike on Monday, 29th November 2021, but they called it off because they said the government promised to reduce the fuel price.

But after pushing for about two weeks, it appeared the drivers did not get what they sought from the government and went ahead to do a sit-down strike.

Speaking on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie, with Ekourba Gyasi Simpremu, Mr Michael Omare Wadie said, "Let the petrol price come down today as it has already started, both ‘trotro’ and taxi drivers will never reduce lorry fares. Already, the fuel price has reduced by about 10 percent and they have gone on strike.”

Meanwhile, he said Ghana’s debt had become very high and so it had become necessary that taxes be taken from the people to develop the country.