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Chief Executive Officer of the State Transport Corporation (STC), Nana Akomea, has backed the transport operators to increase fares following the increment in petrol prices.

The transport operators have agreed to adjust the fares by 15 percent commencing on Saturday, February 26, 2022.

The transport unions had earlier proposed a 30 percent increase in fares but after a meeting on Monday February 21, 2022, they agreed on the 15 percent upward adjustment. 

“We kindly request all commercial transport operators to comply with the new fares and post same at three loading terminals,” the transport group said in a statement after the meeting.

A member of the Communication team of the Ghana Private Roads Transport Union (GPRTU), Samuel Amoah, according to a myjoyonline publication, has also urged the public to cooperate with the drivers to implement the new charges.

“After lengthy deliberations and discussions, the conclusion was that transport operators have been given 15 per cent upward adjustment of transport fares, and the agreement is that this increment is taking effect right from Saturday, February 26, 2022.”

“We are urging all commuters to go strictly by this directive from the Ministry and the transport operators. Currently, the approved transport fare is the one with the 15 per cent increase because that’s what we have agreed upon,” he said. 

Nana Akomea, speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' Tuesday morning, noted that it has become necessary for these new fares to be effected because the transport business sector will collapse should the fares remain the same vis-à-vis the fuel price hikes.

"It's a business. You can't have a situation where their cost component, the major cost component [the direct and immediate] is petrol and the petrol price changes but the transport fares remain the same. You can't have that situation. People will stop doing the transport business and the impact on the economy will be worse than COVID. So, it's good that we review transport fares because of the way the petrol prices are going high," he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi.

He added that the transport operators have been very patient with Ghanaians over the period because fuel prices have shot up by huge percentages multiple times but the transport operators, due to their magnanimity, have only slightly increased the transport fares.

To him, in actual fact, they should have adjusted the fares in proportion to the fuel prices but this has not been the case, therefore wants passenges to bear with the commercial bus drivers.

"When you look at the economics of transport in Ghana, it is not good. If we don't change it, the industry will break down. Everybody will stop doing the transport (business)," he stressed.