The Deputy National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Kwaku Boahen has urged Government to heed the calls of drivers and reduce fuel price for them so that they can go back to their normal duties.
He was reacting to the ongoing strike by the driver unions across the country.
The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), and other transport unions threatened to go on strike if government failed to ensure a reduction in the price of fuel.
They also gave indications that they would be forced to increase fares if nothing is done about the situation.
Aside these, the unions threatened to ask their leadership to vacate their positions if they failed to do anything about the issue.
The transport unions were expected to embark on the strike on Monday, 29th November 2021, but they called it off because they said government promised to reduce the fuel price.
But after pushing for about two weeks, it appeared the drivers did not get what they sought from government and went ahead to do a sit down strike today, Monday, December 6th, 2021.
Read Also: Drivers on strike after back and forth with Gov’t over fuel taxes
Speaking on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie, with Ekourba Gyasi Simpremu, Mr Kwaku Boahen noted that the taxes imposed on fuel this year alone was about GHC9.50.
He observed that most of the drivers struggle to get passengers because the lorry fares were high due to increase in fuel prices.
At the end of the day, he said most of the drivers and their conductors are unable to get money enough to feed their families, therefore urging government to reduce the fuel price as the drivers are demanding.
” You have put a lot of taxes on petrol and our brothers are saying reduce it for them because they are suffering, because there is hardship in the country. People do not have money in their pockets and so people do not travel, if people do not travel how will the ‘trotro’ driver get money. If it [fuel Price] comes down a bit, the one who has some money and wants to go to town to buy will board the vehicle and the drivers will also get money in their pocket,” he said.
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori
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