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Commuters have expressed their frustration over the increases in transport fares and the prices of petroleum products, without any corresponding increase in salaries. For some traders, their worry is that the increase in transport fares would be passed on to consumers and that would have a toll, not only on their businesses but consumers as well. Meanwhile, the increases have generated furore among drivers, their mates and passengers over the exact fares to be charged. Frustration �Salaries have not been increased, yet prices of goods and services keep going up every day. In fact life is now unbearable for some of us,� Ms Dora Asante, a public sector worker, said in an interview. A trader, Mr Yaw Boakye, stated, �Now I have to decrease my goods because my cost of operations has increased.� Some drivers claimed that even in the short while, the increases had affected their operations since it took a longer time for them to load their vehicles. �As I am talking to you, only one passenger is sitting in my car and he has been sitting in it for almost two hours, but before the increase, the car could get full within an hour�, Mr Clement Osei Ansong, a driver at the Neoplan Station near Kwame Nkrumah Circle, said. The administrator of the Accra�Nkawkaw branch of the GPRTU, Neoplan Station, Mr Clement Botwe, however, said the union had not had issues with drivers and passengers concerning the increment because most passengers were informed before the increase in fares. Tamale At some of the lorry parks in the central business district of the Tamale Metropolis, drivers of commercial vehicles and passengers engaged in heated exchanges over the new transport fares, Samuel Duodu reports from Tamale. Some motorists and commuters said the increase in fuel prices and transportation fares came to them as a surprise. Some commuters who had planned their activities did so with the old fares, particularly for short distances so they decided to walk, while others said they would rather look for money and buy their own motorbikes since that would be more economical. Later, to forestall disagreements, most drivers of commercial vehicles informed passengers about the new fares before the passengers boarded their vehicles. Bolgatanga There were mixed reactions among motorists and passengers in the Bolgatanga Municipality with regard to the increase in transport fares and petroleum products, Vincent Amenuveve reports from Bolgatanga. While passengers were not happy with the increases, some motorists, the commercial drivers in particular, believed that the increases in the transport fares were long overdue. Madam Agnes Memunatu, a teacher, for instance, said life would be more unbearable for her family since the recent increases would result in a higher cost of living for them. When contacted, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the GPRTU, Mr Godfred Abulbire, was of the view that the increases might not result in an immediate reaction from commuters until later in the week. He explained that "it is on market days that we can get the real reaction from market women and traders but for now, it is too early to see the impact in our area". According to him, the fare from Bolgatanga to Tamale, for instance, had been increased from GH�9 to GH�10. He also said the new fares were being prepared by his outfit and would be announced to all the GPRTU branches in the region. Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor reports from Kumasi that unlike previous times when passengers and drivers disagreed over transport fares, there was little misunderstanding on Monday, following the fuel and transport fare increases. Most of the passengers the Daily Graphic spoke to said although the timing of the increases was wrong, �at least this time, the new fares came with the fuel price increment� thus reducing the usual acrimony between passengers and drivers. Some passengers, however, complained that some drivers were charging arbitrary fares. For instance, Kwame Poku, who boarded a taxi from Asuoyeboa to Sofoline Interchange, which previously cost GH�1, said the driver demanded GH�1.50.