Transport Ministry Has No Power To Determine Fares – COPEC

The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has chided the Ministry of Transport over its directive to the Ghana Police Service regarding the implementation of new fares.

The Ministry, on Monday, April 15, directed the Ghana Police Service to be on the lookout for commercial drivers who are charging fares exceeding the approved rates.

Executive Secretary of COPEC, Duncan Amoah, however, contends that the Ministry cannot compel the unions to comply with the directive as it has failed to address underlying factors contributing to the alleged fare hikes.

“The Transport Ministry has no basis in law to determine transport fares, especially in a deregulated market like we have, where the cost of fare is passed on and not regulated by government. The cost of insurance is simply added on year in, and year out. The cost of fuel goes up at will. As and when the dollar goes up, as and when international markets go up, as and when taxes go up, your fuel prices are rising.”

“Why is the Transport Ministry in all of these discussions? And so we think that the Transport Ministry should not arrogate onto itself constitutional powers that it does not have at present to even call for the arrest of a driver or drivers simply because they are trying to recover costs of their operation. I am not suggesting the drivers should just go ahead and charge too much, but if there is a need for them to go up in transport fare, so be it.”

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