The Concerned Drivers Association (CDA) has intimated that it will maintain its decision to increase transport fares by 30 per cent across the country.
The Public Relations Officer for the Concerned Drivers Association, David Ago Addo, stated that the hike in fuel prices and spare parts in the last few months with increasing cost of operations have made it mandatory for them to increase the prices.
David Addo’s comments come hours after the Association’s meeting with the transport ministry which ended inconclusively.
According to the CDA Public Relations Officer, the transport operators are bearing the brunt of the constant price changes with most of them losing profit after their daily operations.
“The last time we increased transport fare was in July, that was 2nd July, and we were buying fuel then at GHc6.5 pesewas. When you convert it into a gallon, it was Ghc25.50 pesewas. But as I speak with you, it’s now Ghc7.50 when you convert it into a gallon, its almost Ghc34. So, assuming the driver buys five gallons a day, he is losing Ghc45 on daily basis. The fact of the matter is that, we are still running at a loss.”
David Ago Addo
David Addo indicated that regardless of the current state of engagement with the transport minister, the Association will still fight for the increment of the transport fares to reduce the burden on the transport operators.
“We will get there. They can say what they want to say but we the transport operators too will push to where we want to get to.”
David Ago Addo
Grant our request
Touching on what CDA wants to achieve after meeting the transport ministry for its next engagement, David Addo averred that the concerned drivers want their request, to increase fares, to be granted.
“After the meeting with the minister, we want to achieve what we are asking for. It is not that we want the transport minister to endorse what we are saying. What we are saying is fact and because our parts of business in Ghana is very sensitive. On the 6th December that we decided that we won’t work, you see what happened in Ghana? That is why we had to go and show it to the minister that this is what we have arrived at.”
David Ago Addo
Meanwhile, the head of pricing at the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Abass Ibrahim has attributed the recent fuel price hikes in the country to the high pricing of crude on the world market and the unstable nature of the dollar exchange rate.
According to him the price at which fuel is bought at the pump has a number of components.
“One of the key component is the price of the petroleum products on the world market. So, as a net importer of petroleum products, we will rely on the cost of the petroleum prices in the world market to determine prices locally.”
David Ago Addo
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