The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has raised concerns over the persistent shortage of commercial vehicles, stating that the situation for commuters has moved from bad to worse despite ongoing efforts to intervene.
According to the Deputy Public Relations Officer for the GPRTU, Samuel Amoah, the union had hoped the pressure on public transport would ease following the festive season.
However, internal research indicates that the number of passengers relying on public transport has actually increased.
Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Mr. Amoah assured the public that efforts are underway to find a permanent solution in collaboration with the government.
“The crisis remains unresolved. It was our expectation that after the festive season, the situation would have improved, but it has rather grown worse. From our own internal research, we have realised that the number of passengers has increased, with higher demand for more commercial buses. That was the reason why we engaged with the government on the way forward. They promised to provide us with some buses while providing more Aayalolo and Metro Mass buses. We are doing our best to address the situation but have not been able to deal with it.”
Mr. Amoah noted that during peak hours, vehicles become particularly scarce in certain high-traffic areas. In response, the GPRTU is attempting to strategically deploy more vehicles to these zones to alleviate the burden on stranded commuters.
Beyond vehicle shortages, the union is also grappling with drivers charging unapproved fares.
Despite GPRTU’s efforts to curb this practice, many drivers continue to ignore official pricing structures.
Mr. Amoah revealed that the union’s taskforce is currently working to clamp down on these offenders. However, he emphasized that they cannot do it alone and called for more robust state intervention.
“The charging of unapproved fares has not stopped. We keep receiving calls from passengers about it. We are dealing with it, but some of the drivers are still engaged in that. We will need the support from the government. The government should support us with the MMDCEs’ taskforce. This is a national crisis and we will need to collaborate in dealing with it.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
