The Coalition of Private Transport Operators says it will conclude deliberations on whether to increase transport fares on February 2, 2022.

This announcement was announced at a stakeholder meeting with the various transport operator groups on Thursday.

Drivers in the country had earlier raised concerns over the hike in fuel prices, indicating that it is having a negative impact on their work.

They embarked on a strike in December 2021 to make their demands known to the government but later called off the industrial action.

A month after the nationwide action, transport operators say the government has failed to heed their request to scrap some levies on fuel to cause a reduction in the price of petroleum products; hence their decision to come up with their next line of action.

Speaking to Citi News, the Public Relations Officer of the Concerned Drivers Association, David Agboado, said he is optimistic the union will conclude on increasing transport fares while they still push for the scrapping of some petroleum levies.

“As for the lorry fares, I hope that we will increase it and that we will still fight for the scrapping of taxes on petroleum products. The final conclusion will be communicated on Wednesday because we must write to Parliament and do other necessary follow-ups. For the percentage on the transport fares, I can’t give it out now because everything must be agreed upon, and we are coming up with a reasonable percentage. So, on Wednesday, everything will be known”.

Abass Imoro, the Head of Communication at the Ghana Private Road Transport Operators (GPRTU) and a representative of the union, has also indicated that further deliberations are ongoing to come to a conclusion on Wednesday.

“A committee we set up to furnish us with some information on the matter, wasn’t fully done, so we have postponed it to Wednesday. So hopefully on Wednesday, we shall come to the end of the whole episode, because we have two schools of thought. One is calling for an upward adjustment in transport fares, while the other is calling for a reduction in petroleum prices. So, we will finalize everything on Wednesday.”