Commuters travelling on the Kumasi–Mankranso–Kunsu–Bechem corridor have appealed to relevant authorities to intervene over what they describe as unauthorised and inconsistent increases in public transport fares.
In an open notice addressed to the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Ministry of Transport, Ashanti Regional authorities, the Ghana Police Service, the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC), station managers and other stakeholders, the commuters called for the immediate enforcement and publication of approved fares on the route.
According to the commuters, the fare from Kumasi to Mankranso was previously GH¢13, while the fare to Kunsu stood at GH¢14 before the last official fare reduction.
They said following the reduction, the approved fare to Mankranso was expected to fall to GH¢11, but operators allegedly continued charging GH¢12.
The commuters further alleged that a directive by the Ashanti Regional Minister and the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council requiring Sprinter vehicles to remove one row of seats for passenger comfort was subsequently followed by an increase in fares.
They claimed that fares were raised to GH¢15 for Mankranso, with additional increases of about GH¢5 for some towns along the route towards Bechem.
According to the notice, operators later restored the removed seats and reinstated most of the previous fares for towns between Mankranso and Bechem, but allegedly retained the GH¢15 fare for Mankranso instead of reducing it to the previously applicable GH¢12.
The commuters said the latest fare adjustment has resulted in the Mankranso fare increasing further to between GH¢17 and GH¢18, while one station at Kejetia, in front of CBG Bank, is allegedly charging GH¢20.
The complaint also covers Pragya operators operating along the corridor.
The commuters alleged that the Mankranso–Kunsu fare was increased to GH¢3 without a corresponding approved adjustment and that passengers travelling after 9 p.m. are required to pay a flat GH¢5 regardless of their destination.
They further claimed that the latest adjustment has resulted in the Pragya fare increasing again from GH¢3 to GH¢5.
The commuters said they were not opposed to lawful fare adjustments, including the latest reported eight per cent increase, but objected to what they described as the continued retention of charges introduced under previous circumstances.
They argued that passengers complied when government-approved fares were reduced, but alleged that some operators did not fully implement the reduction and continued charging higher fares.
The commuters are therefore calling for the immediate publication and display of approved fares for Kumasi–Mankranso, Kumasi–Kunsu and communities along the route to Bechem, covering both Sprinter and Pragya services.
They are also asking the MTTD and the police to enforce the approved fares at Kejetia, the station near the CBG Bank frontage and other loading points along the corridor.
The commuters further want authorities to investigate operators who, according to their complaint, restored vehicle seats but continued charging fares allegedly introduced when the seats had been removed.
They are also calling for clear regulations governing night-time Pragya fares to prevent passengers from being charged a uniform GH¢5 regardless of their destination after 9 p.m.
The commuters have proposed a joint inspection involving the Ashanti Regional Minister, the Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano South West, representatives of the GPRTU and GRTCC, and the MTTD to establish the applicable fares and address the concerns on the specific route.
The petition was copied to several government agencies, transport unions and other stakeholders for what the commuters described as public record and passenger protection.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
