Despite the directive issued by the road transport association, calling for a 10 per cent reduction in fares, transport operators across the country are disregarding the instruction.
The directive, which was issued on Monday, May 15, 2023, mandated operators to implement the fare reduction starting from Wednesday, May 17. However, checks conducted by Citi News at various lorry terminals have revealed that drivers and conductors are not adhering to the directive.
The Concerned Drivers Association has voiced opposition to the fare reduction, citing increased prices of commodities such as spare parts as their reason.
At the Tema Station Transport Terminal in Accra, fares remain unchanged, disregarding the directive for a 10 per cent reduction.
Expressing frustration, a passenger shared, “They have not reduced it, though we heard that they said they are supposed to reduce the fares by 10 per cent. I saw someone complain to the drivers, and they insulted her, so I don't want to bother myself talking about it.”
The station master at the same terminal expressed dissatisfaction with the high prices of car components and argued that requesting a fare reduction solely due to the decrease in petrol prices is unfair to them.
“The price of spare parts has gone up, and some other things,” the station master lamented.
However, the station master called for the arrest of drivers who fail to comply strictly with the mandated 10 per cent reduction in transport fares.
Similar circumstances were observed in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Region, where no fare reductions have been implemented, with drivers providing the same reasons for their reluctance.
Checks conducted in Bimbilla, a town in the Northern Region, also revealed that passengers were being charged the old fares, indicating a lack of compliance with the directive.
The failure of transport operators to adhere to the directive for fare reduction has raised concerns among passengers, who expected to benefit from the decrease in petroleum prices.
