Drivers at the Atibie-Nkawkaw taxi rank in the Kwahu South Municipality of the Eastern Region have decided to increase their fares due to the Kwahu Easter-induced gridlocks.
Before the Easter celebration, passengers were charged GH¢10.00 from Nkwakwa to Atibie but passengers are now charged GH¢15.00 for the same distance.
There was heavy vehicular traffic in almost all the towns in Kwahu communities due to the Easter celebration. Drivers, therefore, had to spend a lot of time maneuvering their way in the gridlock.
For the drivers, since they could not move at their usual speed to cash on the occasion due to the traffic, it was necessary for them to increase their fares to cater for their fuel cost due to the traffic.
Some of the drivers told Graphic Online that they would revert to the old fares right after the Easter celebrations.
One of the drivers, Kofi Yeboah who plies the Atibie-Nkawkaw route, said the Easter traffic was making their business unprofitable.
He said the drivers had not increased the fares to take advantage of the revelers at the Easter celebrations but to make sure that they did not run into a loss.
"Because of the slow movement of vehicles due to the heavy traffic build-up, it is causing us so much in terms of fuel cost,” Mr Yeboah said.
Another taxi driver, Amoah Tawiah, said the increment was very reasonable because of the Easter occasion since their vehicles could not move freely like they used to do during normal days.
Some passengers who spoke to Graphic Online said it was not right for the drivers to take extra monies from them.
One of the revellers, Akosua Korang, a native of Atibie who lives in Accra said it was not good for the taxi drivers in the area to increase their fares since there had not been any increase in fuel cost.
For her, the taxi drivers were making things difficult for revelers to move freely and enjoy the celebration.
"Don't take advantage of the Easter celebrations or heavy traffic build up to increase taxi fares because you are also making things difficult for people to enjoy the celebration,” she said.
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