Ho, May 4, GNA - The Volta Regional Secretariat of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union said on Thursday that it would communicate the officially approved five percent increase in fares to its branches and locals by noon.

It said after that the Union would sanction any member who contravened the directives and charged above the five percent limit. Mr Edward Fiator, First Trustee, who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview said a hint of the five percent increase was communicated to him by telephone by the GPRTU Regional Chairman who was in Accra for consultation.

He said the Union was expecting an official directive from the National Secretariat to begin the process of issuing directives from Ho to members in the Volta Region.

Mr Fiator said the Secretariat was trying to make immediate contacts with leaders of the unions of taxi drivers under the GPRTU to get them to comply with directives from the National Secretariat. He complained that taxi drivers were particularly difficult to handle, especially those who claimed to belong to other unions. Taxi fares have gone up in the Ho municipality by about 25 per cent with routes attracting 2,000 cedis now 2,500 cedis, 2,500 cedis now 3,000 cedis.

The GNA realized when it went round the station immediately after the interview with Mr Fiator that apart from Ho-Accra where increases were within the five per cent range-between 28,000 cedis 30,000 cedis, fares had gone up higher than 10 per cent at other terminals. Ho-Hohoe is 20,000 cedis, a 10 per cent increase over the old fare of 18,000 cedis while the new fares range from between 18,000 cedis to 20,000 cedis at the Aflao station, which previously charged 16,000 cedis.