The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has pushed back against claims that its members are deliberately overcharging passengers because of a supposed shortage of public transport vehicles.
Reacting to comments by the Minister of State for Government Communication, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, who accused some operators of creating artificial scarcity to justify higher fares, GPRTU National Secretary General Kofi Amoah said the union would never direct its members to flout fare regulations or abandon their stations.
Speaking on Channel One TV on Wednesday, January 14, Amoah explained that the drivers exploiting stranded passengers are mostly not members of the union.
“What we are seeing on the roadsides, where passengers are left stranded and drivers charge unapproved fares, involves vehicles that are not part of the union. Most of them are what we call floating vehicles,” he said.
He noted that the union has already held meetings on the issue and is stepping up enforcement to ensure compliance among its members.
“We’ll be on the streets with our task force. If any of our vehicles are found engaging in these practices, we’ll have them arrested and sanctioned,” he stressed.
Amoah also advised commuters to use recognised union stations, pointing out that registered members pay dues and are expected to operate strictly within approved routes and fare structures.
“We encourage passengers to board vehicles from our stations instead of picking cars by the roadside,” he added.