Transport Fares To Drop By 10% From August 1

Transport fares are set to reduce by 10 percent after operators were allowed to return to normal business.

The reduction will take effect from August 1.

This announcement is after the transport operators held a meeting with the Transport Ministry.

Transport fares increased by 15 percent in July because operators were struggling with the limit on passengers because of the social distancing brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fuel prices had also begun to increase after initial drops during the onset of the pandemic.

But the President Akufo-Addo, on Sunday, July 26, 2020, announced that commercial vehicles could now take their full capacities.

What followed were calls from the public asking transport operators to revert to the old fares.

The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) on Monday called on commercial transport operators to reduce their fares immediately as they return to their normal loading capacity.

In a press statement signed and issued by the Executive Secretary of COPEC, Mr Duncan Amoah on Sunday said, COPEC said: “We are, by this statement calling on some of our major stakeholders in the transport sector including the GPRTU, Concerned Drivers Association, Committed Drivers Association and the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council to immediately without fail, ensure that transport fares are reversed by close of day tomorrow”.

Mr Amoah explained that “What this directive means is that every revenue that until the date has been losing per trip by the commercial transport operators before the announcement during the period and for which commuters have recently been forced to cough up additional 15-30% transport fare increases is now restored in favour of our commercial transport operators and thus the recent increases of between 15-30% must and should be reversed forthwith”.