By Issah Olegor
Commercial transport operators are threatening to increase transport fares by 30 percent, warning that surging fuel prices are pushing many drivers to the brink of collapse despite repeated government assurances that petroleum prices would ease.
The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) says the Mahama administration has failed to respond to a three-day ultimatum issued last week over the continuous rise in fuel prices, leaving operators with little choice but to consider passing the additional costs onto commuters.
The warning, if carried through, could trigger another increase in the cost of living, with transport fares affecting the prices of food, goods and services across the country.
Speaking on behalf of the union, GPRTU Deputy Public Relations Officer Samuel Amoah said the deadline given to government expired on Saturday without any official engagement from the authorities.
According to him, the union had expected urgent intervention after government previously assured transport operators that fuel prices would begin declining.
“We proposed last week that government should do something about petroleum products. Government promised fuel prices would come down, and that is not what we are seeing,” Amoah stated.
He disclosed that the union’s leadership has now resolved to seek an emergency meeting with the Ministry of Transport to ascertain why government has remained silent despite the ultimatum.
“Last week we gave government a three-day ultimatum. The period we gave the government ended last Saturday. As I speak, we have not heard anything from them. The leadership is now moving to meet the Transport Ministry to find out what the problem is. If nothing changes, we cannot do anything other than implement a 30% increase in transport fares,” he warned.
Drivers Under Pressure
Amoah said transport operators are increasingly struggling to remain in business as fuel consumes almost all the revenue generated from daily operations.
According to him, although transport operators continue to grapple with rising prices of spare parts, engine oil, lubricants and taxes, fuel has become the single biggest burden on commercial drivers.
He explained that many drivers now spend almost their entire daily income on purchasing fuel before accounting for vehicle maintenance, insurance, licensing fees and other operating expenses.
The union believes the current situation is becoming unsustainable and could eventually force many commercial vehicle operators off the roads if urgent action is not taken.
Government Yet to Respond
The GPRTU maintains that it prefers dialogue over fare increases and is hoping discussions with the Ministry of Transport will produce a solution before a final decision is taken.
Union leaders insist that increasing transport fares is not their preferred option but argue that they cannot continue operating at a loss while fuel prices continue to rise.
Should negotiations fail, the proposed 30 percent fare increment would become one of the largest adjustments in recent years and would directly affect millions of commuters who depend on commercial transport daily.
Fuel Prices Under Renewed Pressure
The latest warning comes amid fresh increases in pump prices announced by several Oil Marketing Companies during the current pricing window.
Industry analysts have attributed the latest adjustments largely to developments on the international petroleum market rather than margins charged by local fuel retailers.
The Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies (COMAC) has also explained that recent increases have been driven mainly by global market conditions, while the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has cautioned that fuel prices could rise further if international crude oil prices remain elevated.
The transport sector has traditionally been among the first industries to feel the impact of fuel price increases because fuel accounts for a substantial proportion of commercial vehicle operating costs.
