We are constrained to express disappointment in the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) for their inability to compel commercial drivers to reduce fares as the union directed.
We used to regard the union as one with the authority or even clout to control private transport owners operating under their aegis. No more as we have discovered the leadership is only good at rabble-rousing or put better, inciting drivers and the citizenry against the government.
When Ghana endured the fallouts from COVID-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the economy witnessed a nosedive.
We recall the revenue loss to the state when government for good reason shut down the country even as the remunerations of workers were not equally suspended.
All possible revenue sources are attacked by propaganda of the opposition in tandem with the likes of the GPRTU by their attitude as being evidenced by their failure under the subject under review.
We have not forgotten the celebration and the popping of champagne by the Minority when they succeeded in frustrating the passage of the E-Levy Bill. They knew what they were doing.
It is our hope that Ghanaians are not proving New Mahama right that Ghanaians have short memories by forgetting how traders capitalised on the situation to sell nose masks and other items in the fight against COVID.
Commercial drivers had a lot of reasons to increase lorry fares and foodstuffs sellers adjusted their prices accordingly, citing high fuel prices.
We expected a reciprocal reaction from the drivers and foodstuff sellers when
the prices of petroleum products nosedived.
With the Cedi gaining strength due to the perseverance of government and the kindness of Almighty God, there is an appreciable turnaround of the economy.
The pressure mounted by citizens patronising private transport on government to intervene was loud.
As if in response to those calls, the Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA) at certain stage asked traders to consider adjusting prices downwards, but changed their tunes, later blaming it on the introduction of new taxes.
The GPRTU and other transport operators who could not stand the pressure from the travelling public said until petrol was sold at ten cedis they could not reduce transport fares, and besides other inputs like spare parts are still sold at prohibitive prices.
Sounds nonsensical to us and many Ghanaians; we do not want to believe that spare parts are bought everyday as motorists do fuel.
In the transport business, what is spent on spare parts can be said to be a recurrent expenditure and the drivers don’t service their vehicles monthly not to talk about daily. But for the partisan nature of our national politics, we should all rally to call out our drivers and traders to stop the KALABULE as they are profiting from what they did not sow. By our inaction and partisan politics, traders and drivers are making life unbearable for us and yet we continue to lay the blame at the doorstep of the government.
And unable to stand the pressure further, the GPRTU and other transport operators in a public relations gimmick announced a ten percent reduction in transport fares knowing very well they cannot enforce their directive. There must be a stoppage to this nonsense.