Drivers affiliated with the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) who charge passengers more than the approved 8% fare increase could face sanctions from the union, Deputy Public Relations Officer Samuel Amoah has warned.
Speaking on Starr FM’s Morning Starr, Mr Amoah said the GPRTU investigates complaints against its members and takes disciplinary action where drivers are found to have breached the approved fares.
“When we receive such a report, and they fall under our union, number one, we have internal sanctions for every member of the union who flouts our law,” he said.
He said the union’s national office had supplied its branches with calculations to help them determine the correct fares after the 8% adjustment.
“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,” he explained.
Mr Amoah said the union also responds to passenger complaints by checking fares at stations and engaging branch leaders where necessary.
He cited a complaint received last Saturday which led officials to verify the fare being charged and speak with the relevant transport operators.
He acknowledged that rounding off fares can sometimes be difficult, particularly when an 8% increase results in amounts involving small denominations. He used a GH¢8 fare as an example, which would increase by 64 pesewas.
However, Mr Amoah stressed that drivers who charge amounts beyond the approved calculation should not be considered representative of the GPRTU.
He noted that some commercial drivers are not affiliated with any transport union and therefore fall outside the GPRTU’s disciplinary system.
Where a complaint involves such a driver, he said the union checks its records and, if the driver is not a member, refers the matter to the nearby police station.
Mr Amoah maintained that the actions of individual drivers do not reflect the union’s position, insisting that GPRTU members have been directed to follow the agreed 8% fare increase.
