Aburi residents up in arms over exorbitant fares, threaten demo

Passengers in Aburi in Akuapem South district in the Eastern region are up in arms with transport operators over exorbitant road transport fares.

The passengers are blaming the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) for unreasonable increments affecting cost of transportation.

Addressing the media, some concerned youth in Aburi noted with disdain that transportation fares in Aburi to any part of nearby areas are high compared to other places despite having good roads.

The youth in Aburi cited that, while a 23km road from Aburi to Madina now costs Ghc13.60, a 26.9 km road from Madina to Dodowa costs Ghc10.

The youth argued that transport fares from Aburi to Madina shot up during the reconstruction of Tetteh Quarshie to Mamfe road two decades ago due to the diversion of the road through Kitase -Brekuso to Kwabenya.

However, drivers failed to reverse the Ghc2 additional increment as agreed with passengers after the road construction rather keeps increasing the fares unfairly.

This they say is worsening the plight of the people and also affecting businesses and tourism.

Fred Odei Addo Duodu, Secretary to the youth group demanded an immediate reduction in transport fares else the youth will rise.

He further stated that “it is our fervent prayer that our demands today on paper must translate into a renewed action by the transport unions to expose those unscrupulous drivers who charge exorbitantly based on their own discretion, push for bolder policies to flush out drivers who disregard the approved general pricing principle by the transport unions”.

Some opinion leaders in the community said they have made several efforts to petition the Greater Accra Regional GPRTU executives and Akuapem South District Chief Executive but the GPRTU have failed to act on their grievances.

Residents have given a one-week ultimatum for the fares to be reduced else will stage massive demonstrations and subsequently expulsed recalcitrant drivers from plying to Aburi township.

However, some of the drivers told Starr News, they can’t be blamed because they only implement fares approved by GPRTU.