The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has warned drivers who charge passengers more than the approved 8% fare increase that they could face internal sanctions if they are members of the union.
GPRTU Deputy Public Relations Officer Samuel Amoah said the union investigates complaints against its members and takes action when drivers are found to be charging fares outside the approved adjustment.
Speaking to Isaac Addae on Morning Starr on Starr FM, Amoah said the union had already instructed its members to follow the agreed fare structure.
“When we receive such a report and they fall under our union, number one, we have internal sanctions to every member of the union who flouts our law,” he said.
According to him, the GPRTU’s national office has provided its various branches with the necessary calculations to help drivers determine the new fares following the 8% adjustment.
He explained that branch officials are expected to use the figures provided by the national office when calculating fares for routes under their jurisdiction.
“For instance, my branch Ashaiman Traffic Light that I will check on the document that the national office brought. Then I will use that one to do my calculation,” Amoah said.
The union also follows up on complaints from passengers to determine whether drivers are charging fares beyond the approved increase.
Amoah cited a complaint received the previous Saturday which prompted union officials to visit the area, verify the situation and engage the leadership concerned.
He acknowledged, however, that calculating an 8% increase can sometimes create practical difficulties, particularly when the resulting fare involves small denominations that are difficult to collect.
Using an existing GH¢8 fare as an example, Amoah said an 8% increase would amount to an additional 64 pesewas, which could create challenges when passengers and drivers have to deal with small coins.
Despite such difficulties, he stressed that drivers who charge amounts outside the approved calculation should not be considered representative of the GPRTU.
Amoah also pointed out that not every commercial driver belongs to a transport union, limiting the GPRTU’s ability to sanction drivers who operate independently.
He said when a complaint involves a driver who is not affiliated with the union, officials first check their records to establish the driver’s status.
Where the driver is found not to be a GPRTU member, the complaint is forwarded to the nearby police station for the appropriate action.
Amoah maintained that the actions of individual drivers who do not comply with the approved fares should not be interpreted as a failure by the union to communicate the agreed adjustment.
He reiterated that GPRTU members have been directed to implement only the approved 8% fare increase and warned that members who disregard the directive could face internal sanctions.
