We can't survive in business if fares are not adjusted - Tamale commercial drivers

Correspondence from Northern Region

Some commercial drivers in the Tamale Metropolis are calling for the adjustment of transport fares to help them meet expenses as well as be able to break through and survive in business.

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union(GPRTU) last week, proposed a 20 percent increment in transport fares for its members for them to be

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According to the GPRTU, the move was to help the transport companies meet the uncontrolled increases in the prices of fuel used in running their businesses.

But many, especially passengers, however, expressed worries about the continous increase in both the fuel and the transport fares.

Speaking to GhanaWeb however, some drivers, on Sunday, March 20, 2022, said the cost of fuel for running their vehicles, kept surging, and unless they increase their fares, they would not be able to survive in business.

"My brother, we are suffering, fuel prices kept increasing and yet we can not increase our fares? This is not fair to us as businesses.

"If we don't increase our fares, we may have to park our vehicles, because people go into business to make a profit, and not losses," a driver told GhanaWeb

"After closing, when you take the amount used in buying fuel, and the amount you are to pay your masters, in addition to other charges, at times you will be left with just 20 cedis or even less, how can you feed your family with this?" one of the drivers said

The drivers also appealed to the government to work towards reducing the prices of fuel, which they said was the main source of running their business.

They also urged the public to bear with them regarding their demand for fare increment as they could not survive without adjusting the charges.

"We are appealing to the government to as a matter of urgency, reduce the price of the fuel for us," they said

"Passengers should bear with us, it is our wish that we keep increasing our fares, but we can't do either" one of them said

Some passengers, in an interview with the GhanaWeb, however, appealed to the government and the transport companies to work together and reduce the fares

"I think the government and the transport companies need to work together, we are really suffering," a passenger told GhanaWeb.

Beginning 2021 till now, the price of fuel increased many times leading to an increase in transport fares simultaneously

Currently, the price for both petroleum and diesel stands at Gh10.90 at the pump respectively