We're suffering - Ghanaians cry out to Akufo-Addo over increase in transportation fares

The Concerned Drivers Association and the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), increased transport fares on Sunday, October 29, 2022. While the GPRTU announced a 19 percent increase in transport fares, the Concerned Drivers Association has announced a 30 percent increment. The unions have indicated the increase was necessitated by the rising prices of petroleum products, the depreciation of the Ghana Cedi and the rising cost of living in the country. GhanaWeb, on Monday, October 31, visited some public transport stations in Accra to find out how some Ghanaians, including drivers, conductors and passengers, are dealing with the fare increases. Our interaction with the drivers and their conductors (mates) indicated that the passengers were largely cooperative and were paying the new fares. Even those who resist come to an understanding because of the current difficulties in the country. "Most of the passages are paying (the new fees), they are not complaining. But the thing is that we are suffering. On the day we increased the fare, fuel prices increased again. But the passengers don't know this. We (drivers) have been instructed not to increase the fares again; we are suffering," one driver told GhanaWeb in Twi. The passengers, however, were totally unhappy with the increase in fares. "We are suffering, and we are very hungry. The president said he did not force us to vote for him. But we are suffering. He should wake up if he is asleep," a passenger said in Twi. "I'm not Accra based; I actually came from Kumasi last week. When I was coming, I paid GH¢85 for VIP, but I will be going to board a VIP bus tomorrow to go back to Kumasi, and I hear the fee is now GH¢100. So, within a week, the fare has increased by GH¢25. I think it is not nice if they can do something about it, they should do it," another passage said. A male passenger who also spoke to GhanaWeb said that he had to abandon his car to start using public transport, which is also becoming unbearable. Watch GhanaWeb's interaction with stakeholders in the public transport sector on the increase in transport fares below: Watch the latest episode of The Lowdown below: IB/SEA