Business drivers yesterday started charging new fares following the increment of petroleum merchandise on the pumps on Monday by the Oil Advertising and marketing Corporations (OMCs)
The increment of the fares by the business drivers comes lower than 72 hours after a 19-percent fare enhance went into impact on Saturday following an settlement reached with the Ghana Highway Transport Coordinating Council and the federal government.
Petrol and diesel costs are going for a median of GH¢18 and GH¢23 per litre from the earlier costs of GH¢15 and GH¢19 per litre respectively.
Yesterday’s sudden increment in fares was met with combined reactions from drivers and their mates on one aspect and passengers on the opposite, a scenario which resulted in heated exchanges between the events.
The scenario additionally resulted in hurling of insults and identify calling on virtually all of the business automobiles on which passengers had been requested to pay the brand new fares.
Throughout a go to to the Odawna Taxi Rank on the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange in Accra, the Ghanaian Instances came upon that passengers had been being charged GH¢30.00 from circle to Tema, which was once GH¢25.00 three days earlier.
Circle to Tema Harbour now turns into GH¢35 as a substitute of GH¢30 whereas the fare from Circle to Ashaiman now could be GH¢30 as a substitute of GH¢25.
Passengers commuting on probably the most popularly used mini-buses, in any other case generally known as ‘trotros’, from the City Council Line to Circle had been parting with GH¢4.00 as a substitute of GH¢3.60 in lower than 24 hours.
Passengers had been being charged GH¢6.00 from Lapaz to Circle which was once GH¢5.00 after the 19-percent increment final week.
The scenario was the identical with different locations the Ghanaian Instances visited.
In the meantime, the OA Journey and Tour and different lengthy distance journey businesses and business transport branches at Circle had been but to overview their fares.
Foster Gyamara, a bookman on the Odaw Taxi Station of the Ghana Non-public Highway Transport Unionof the Trades Union Congress, Circle, stated the increment had turn out to be essential to preserve drivers in enterprise.
“The drivers are probably the most affected in these instances. They make little or no revenue from what’s being charged after making additional bills like paying a loading payment on the station,” he stated.
“It’s due to this fact crucial that the federal government ought to take away a few of the taxes on petroleum merchandise to ease the burden of each drivers and commuters,” he added.
A porter on the Nkawkaw station at Circle who gave his identify solely as Eric stated the federal government needed to as a matter of urgency ease the burden of Ghanaians as he may hardly earn something on the finish of the day.
He burdened that pressure on the economic system within the final two months was insufferable, including that “I sleep right here so I can work 24 hours however I nonetheless earn little or no in contrast to earlier than.”
Ms Akua Birch, a commuter stated she had stopped utilizing her automotive due to the fixed increment of costs of petroleum merchandise.
Nevertheless, Mr Patrick Agyekum, Assistant Supervisor, OA Journey and Tour, Circle stated they had been but to overview their fares, including that what had worsened the woes of Ghanaians are the market ladies who taken benefit of the nation’s current financial heckles and had been exploiting Ghanaians.
He additionally known as on the federal government to cease the depreciating cedi and provoke measures to cushion Ghanaians.