30% transport fare hike still on the table, talks resume Tuesday – GPRTU

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has rejected claims by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) that its proposed 30% increase in transport fares has been put on hold.

The union says no agreement has been reached with government to suspend the proposed adjustment, insisting that negotiations with the Ministry of Transport remain inconclusive.

Speaking on Joynews, deputy Public Relations Officer of the GPRTU, Samuel Amoah, said the two sides were still negotiating the proposed increase at their last meeting on Friday, September 18.

“There has never been any agreement with the government that we are suspending our proposed increment. The last meeting we had with the minister was last Friday, and we were still negotiating the 30 percent increase, but there wasn’t any conclusion,” he said.

His comments contradict an earlier position by NPA Chief Executive, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, who said engagements with transport operators had helped put the planned fare increase “on ice.”

Mr Tamakloe said government and transport operators had been discussing how to manage the impact of rising fuel prices and other operating costs without immediately passing the full burden on to commuters.

Mr Amoah said the GPRTU remains committed to its proposed 30% adjustment, although the union is prepared to negotiate.

He said the union had indicated during Friday’s meeting that any reduction from the proposed 30% would not take the figure below 25%.

“We are pushing for 30% increment. That is what was on the table at the last Friday negotiation. And we made the ministry understand that if we have to come down, we still come anything less than 25%. And that is where we ended it,” he said.

The GPRTU had earlier submitted a proposal for a fare review to the Ministry of Transport, with a joint team comprising the ministry, the GPRTU and the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC) tasked with reviewing the various cost inputs before a final decision is taken.

The union had also previously stated that existing approved fares remained in force while the review process was ongoing.

Mr Amoah cited rising fuel prices, spare parts, insurance and vehicle maintenance among the factors behind the proposed adjustment.

The development comes after the NPA raised the price floor for petrol and diesel from September 16, with the authority setting the floors at GH¢16 per litre for petrol and GH¢16.77 for diesel. Some Oil Marketing Companies subsequently adjusted their pump prices.

The GPRTU has argued that the higher fuel costs have compounded existing pressures from other inputs required to operate commercial vehicles.

According to Mr Amoah, the GPRTU and the Ministry of Transport are expected to resume discussions on Tuesday, September 22.

He said the parties had agreed to postpone their meeting because Monday, September 21, was a public holiday.

“We all agreed that tomorrow morning we’ll go back to the transport ministry again to conclude the percentage increment,” he said.

The outcome of that engagement will determine whether the proposed adjustment is maintained, reduced or otherwise revised.

Meanwhile, Mr Amoah said GPRTU members have been directed not to participate in a sit-down strike announced by the Progressive Transport Owners Association (PROTOA) over the rising cost of vehicle maintenance.

The directive comes amid broader concerns among commercial transport operators about the cost of keeping vehicles on the road.

For now, however, the GPRTU’s proposed fare adjustment remains subject to negotiations with government, with no new fare officially approved.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.