The Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Abass Imoro, has distanced the union from commercial drivers accused of charging passengers fares above approved rates, insisting that such drivers do not belong to any recognised transport association.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Friday, January 16, Imoro attributed the persistent problem of overcharging to weak enforcement of existing road traffic regulations, which he says has allowed unregulated operators to infiltrate the commercial transport space.
He explained that the Road Traffic Regulations clearly spell out who is qualified to operate commercial vehicles, but the failure to strictly enforce these laws has opened the system to what he described as “floating drivers” individuals who put private vehicles on the road for commercial use without belonging to any recognised transport union.
According to him, these unaffiliated drivers operate outside the control structures of transport unions and are therefore more likely to disregard approved fares and exploit passengers, especially during peak hours and fuel price adjustments.
He stressed that drivers who are bonafide members of transport unions such as the GPRTU are guided by strict internal rules and sanctions, making it unlikely for them to arbitrarily increase fares beyond approved rates.
“You can never find a driver who belongs to a transport association charging more than the approved fare because they know they will be punished if they do so,” he stated.
His comments come amid growing public frustration over the conduct of some commercial drivers, who are charging passengers fares higher than those approved by transport authorities, despite no official adjustment.
In response to the situation, enforcement efforts have been stepped up on the ground. On the night of Thursday, January 16, personnel were deployed to major transport hubs, including the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, to clamp down on fare violations.
