The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has promised the public that transport fares will drop if fuel prices fall to around ¢12 per litre, but it’s not all smooth sailing yet.
In an exclusive interview on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, March 18, GPRTU’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, Samuel Amoah, shed light on the complexities behind fare adjustments. He emphasized that while fuel prices have recently seen a minor decline, the drop is still not enough to trigger a fare cut.
Amoah explained that the GPRTU had been contemplating a fare hike as early as last year, driven by rising costs across the board—spare parts, lubricants, insurance, and taxes, including the DVLA fees. However, they decided to hold off after receiving assurances that the economic conditions would improve.
“Although fuel prices have dipped slightly, it’s not enough to warrant a reduction in fares,” Amoah stated. “We assess not just fuel prices but other key factors like spare parts, lubricants, and taxes, which all affect the final fare decision.”
Amoah also recalled the last fare increase, pointing out that fuel prices at the time hovered around ¢12 per litre. Today, however, diesel costs ¢15.49, and petrol stands at ¢14.99. For a meaningful fare cut, the GPRTU is holding out hope for fuel prices to reach at least ¢12 per litre.
But even with fuel price relief, Amoah cautioned that the cost of spare parts remains a significant hurdle. “The price of spare parts continues to climb, and it will be hard to reduce fares immediately,” he added, underscoring that fare reductions are not just a matter of lower fuel prices, but a balance of various economic pressures.
In summary, while GPRTU remains hopeful that the public will soon enjoy reduced transport fares, it’s clear that they’re carefully monitoring the broader economic landscape before making any changes.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Gumedzo Isaac Acheampong
