Drivers must reduce fares or face prosecution

The Government Spokesperson on Social Services, Kofi Amponsah Bediako, has warned commercial drivers they face arrest and prosecution should they fail to reduce lorry fares weeks after reduction in fuel prices by the National Petroleum Authority.

According to him the government will not hesitate to bring in the police to enforce the reduction of lorry fares if commercial drivers fail to do so.

Mr. Amponsah Bediako stated this on Adom FM's Dwaso Nsem on Monday.

He stressed that it was a matter of hypocrisy for drivers “to refuse to adequately reduce transport fares,” after the government has seen the need to reduce fuel prices when the world oil market price went down.

He said the situation is depriving Ghanaians of having “more relief which they aspire to and deserve.”

Prices of petroleum products in Ghana have been reduced by between eight and 13 per cent but two weeks into the reduction announced by the National Petroleum Authority, (NPA), commercial drivers have not effected changes in lorry fares to reflect the new fuel prices.

According to the review by the NPA, premium is now sold at approximately GH¢1.06p per litre, down from the previous price of approximately GH¢1.18p per litre.

The price of kerosene now sold at GH¢1.02p per litre, down from the previous price of approximately GH¢1.13p per litre.

With respect to gas oil, the price has reduced from GH¢1.20p per litre to approximately GH¢1.09 per litre, representing a decrease of 8.46 per cent, while premix went down from approximately 73.5p per litre to 66.1p per litre, representing a decrease of 10.02 per cent.

The reduction also affected the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by about 8.49 per cent.

Kojo Addo, Adom FM.