By: Daasebre Okogyeaman Agyapaye Ansong
Heavy duty truck drivers union at Afram Plains South in the Eastern Region has accused the authorities of the Volta Lake Transport Company over outrageous fee charges on the Afram River.
Speaking to Kwame Koranteng on Republic FM’s Anopa Dawuro on Monday, June 6, Owusu Kwasi Manasseh, a member of the Heavy duty drivers union in the Afram Plains revealed that, the authority did not engage the drivers union in the wake of the tariff upsurge for commuters and drivers to access the Pontoon and cross to the other side of the sea.
“For some days now, we heard the authority wanted to increase tariff in the Pontoon and after that, I got close to the station master and questioned the authenticity of the news and he even told me he had no idea because he was not made aware the price the authority will bring from Akosombo until we recently saw some notice of increment in the premises of the stationed Pontoon”, he quoted.
The union is arguing that it cannot accept the outrageous and unwarranted charges henceforth.
A 3-seated Urvan was initially charged Gh¢36 but currently pays Gh50.00, Double axle Rhino now pays Gh120 from Gh75, taxis now pays Gh30.00 from Gh18.00, Pick Up used to pay Gh28 but now pays Gh36.00, Articulator Trailer also used to lay Gh200 but now pays Gh350 cedis.
The group is challenging the new charges base on the fact that, government usually engages unions anytime there’s a percentage increment but did not happen in the case of the Volta Lake Transport Company.
The Mr. Manasseh said, upon interactions with the station officer of the Pontoon, according to him, the SO told him the VLTC does not have any coordination with the GPRTU hence, there’s was no need engaging the driver’s union in the area to negotiate the New charges.
The association says, it is disrespecting and uncalled for, for the authority to come out with such a treacherous approach.
It’s been 2 years since an increment was presented to the drivers and passengers on the Afram Pontoon, according to Manasseh Owusu Kwasi.
The union is however, threatening to direct the outrageous charge to the passengers and if it persists, they will embark on demonstration to exercise their displeasure.
The authority begun the collecting the new service charge on last Wednesday, June 1.
Reacting to the claims, the Business development officer at the commercials department of the Volta Lake Authority, Mr. Tanko Yakubu established that, the new charges at the Afram Plains ferry station is effected across the country and not the centered at the Afram Plains alone.
“It’s true, the tariffs on the ferry station is not centered at the Afram Plains alone, we have the same thing in Kete Krachi, Dambai, Yeji, Kpando and Adɔɔso have been affected”, he said.
The new ferry charge is penned at 15% across board. He said, the increment was necessary due to the production cost, fuel hikes and economic crisis across the world.
According to him, there has never been any tariff increment at the Adɔɔso Ferry station since 2014.
“There has been adjustment in everything, fuel hikes and production costs. Fuel hikes has gone up from 2019 to 2022 for about 5 times, purging at 40 to 50% and since 2014, particularly, we have not increased tariffs at the Adɔɔso area because anytime we opt to do so they decline and chants on us but it has become necessary now because the ferry station is at the brink of difficulty”.
According to Yakubu Tanko, the revenue alone cannot sustain the operations. He said, the authority purchase 18,000 liters fuel at a cost of Gh500,000 every 3 months.
“We are in difficulty because revenue alone cannot sustain the operations. As we speak now, 18,000 liters fuel for the operation of the ferry costs us Gh500,000 every 3 months and where do we get that kind of money from”.