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24.02.2006 Regional News

Accra-Kpando GPRTU absorb five per cent increment

24.02.2006 LISTEN
By GNA

Accra, Feb 24, GNA - The Executives of the Accra-Kpando branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has decided to absorb the five per cent increment in transport fares announced by the National Executive following the recent hike in the prices of fuel. Speaking to the GNA in Accra, Mr Charles Doe, Secretary of the branch, said "We are to increase it but the executive has decided to withhold the increase as in the previous one".

He said "like the previous fuel increase the branch is not passing it on to the passenger and we are still charging the same 30,000 cedis," Mr Doe told GNA.

The Branch Secretary expressed concern about the operation of what he called "floating" vehicles, which did not belong to any transport organisation on the roads.

Mr Doe noted that most of such vehicles were mini buses, which were not supposed to travel long distance but were flouting the regulations and charging "any fare" and called on the authorities to check their activities to bring sanity into the sector. However, Mr Emmanuel Akoto, Chairman of the Accra-Peki branch of the GPRTU, said the five per cent increase in transport fares was not enough.

He said taking the cost of other things that went into the running of transport such as insurance and spare parts the increase was not enough but "we shall compile," Mr Andrews Aloka, Secretary of the branch, urged passengers to bear with the Union, saying "It is not our making but we must break even to stay in business". More

Ms Evelyn Amedetowu, Secretary of the Accra-Koforidua branch of the GPRTU, said the five per cent was not enough but "We accept because we cannot do anything to disturb the government," she smiled. Meanwhile, a transport fare list issued by the Greater Accra Regional Branch of the GPRTU indicates that the average increment of tro tro fares on routes within the Accra Metropolis and the Tema Municipality ranged from between 100 cedis and 200 cedis.

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