Fares to go up again if...

General Secretary of the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC), Alhaji Aliu Baba says the Council will defy its own resolve to increase transport fares twice a year, if fuel prices are increased beyond the threshold of 10 per cent.

He said the recent increase in fares was decided upon after the cumulative increases from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) went beyond 10 per cent.

Alhaji Baba, however said Ghanaians should expect another increase in transport fares in June.

“We have said lorry fares should be increased twice every year…but should there be any unforeseeable situation, then we will come out with fare adjustments,” he told TV3’s Sandra Amarquaye in an interview on Tuesday.

Transport fares went up between 10 and 20 per cent last week, following a 6.7 per cent increase in petroleum price.

Over the weekend, the NPA announced a 3 per cent marginal increase in petrol which many fear will trigger another increase in fares.

“This [fuel price] increase will not warrant any transport fare increase,” Alhaji Baba assured.

“As at the last increase of January, it shot the total increase to almost 10+ per cent. So it was based on that that we did the calculations.”