With effect from Monday, July 22, the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana has declared a 15% rise in transportation fares.
The main reason for the fare increase, according to the group, was the rising cost of fuel, with some oil marketing businesses now charging more than GH₵15 for their goods.
They continued by saying that this choice has been made even more necessary by rising costs for necessities like spare parts, which are vital to the transportation industry.
In an interview with Citi FM on Wednesday, July 17, David Agboado, the Public Relations Officer of the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana, voiced worries on the negative impacts that these growing expenses are having on the transportation industry.
He emphasized that the fee rise is justified considering the current economic challenges.
According to Mr Agboado, drivers cannot continue to absorb the escalating fuel prices, which are significantly impacting their earnings.
The fare increase is seen as a necessary measure to ensure the sustainability of their operations amidst the rising costs.
“We will be increasing transport fares by Monday by 15%. The reason is that fuel prices have gone high. All that we use in servicing our vehicles has gone up. That necessitated the 15% increment.”
“The Transport Ministry is not aware, and we don’t need to sit with the Transport Ministry before we increase our transport fares. We keep saying this,” he stated.
Several oil marketing companies (OMCs) have increased their prices at the pumps with the start of July’s second pricing window.
Shell, one of the leading OMCs, has raised the price of a liter of petrol from GH₵14.80 to GH₵15.10, and a litre of diesel from GH₵14.92 to GH₵15.25.
More OMCs are expected to follow suit and adjust their prices upward soon.