Hike in transport fares “betrayal, shocking” – NPA

Moses Asaga

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) is in a state of shock following an increment in transport fares in Ghana by the GPRTU and the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council.

The transport operators have announced a 15% increment in transport fares effective today, February 1, 2016. The surge in fares was as a result of the increase in the prices of petroleum products on January 4, 2016 while the operators also took into consideration “cost of spare parts and maintenance, licensing, levies, charges and tolls and the almighty fuel.”

The Chief Executive of the NPA Moses Asaga said he feels betrayed by the posturing of the transport operators because a meeting has been scheduled at the Flagstaff House today between the government and the other stakeholders over the issue.

“The GPRTU and the acting chairman of the Council have been unfair to the negotiating parties which was the Government, Ministry of Petroleum and the NPA on one side and the Ministry of Transport. We have all agreed that this is not the time for them to increase prices because we do know that fuel prices are going to go down,” Asaga told Citi FM, Sunday.

He added: “We also know that in the last seven months when fuel prices went down almost by 35% the GPRTU did not lower prices in tandem with reducing fuel prices in the country… and we are supposed to be meeting [today] at the Flagstaff House. So we are rather shocked at what has happened.

“They didn’t need to increase transport fares based on the model we have. We have a model and why should they keep changing it. For me, I feel it’s a betrayal, especially when we knew it is coinciding with diesel price going down by 4-5%.”

Reduction in fuel prices
Meanwhile, prices of fuel have been reduced at the pumps with petrol going down two per cent effective February 1, 2016, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has confirmed.

There is also a 4% reduction in diesel with Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) users enjoying the most as the commodity records a 9% decrease.

Per the reduction petrol will be selling at Gh¢3.393 per litre from Gh¢3.465 while diesel goes for Gh¢3.151 from Gh¢3.281 at some filling stations.

source: starrfmonline