Trotro drivers wear red bands amid threats to strike over high fuel cost

Members of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union tagged their vehicles with red bands as they urged the government to reduce fuel prices.

The drivers are acting in compliance with a national directive ahead of a possible strike over the cost of fuel.

Alhaji Issa Mohammed, the Vice Chairman of the Odawna GPRTU, told Citi News the drivers “want the government to reduce the fuel for us and everything should go to normal.”

As some passengers fear commercial transport fares could go up, Mr. Mohammed said it wasn’t the wish of GPRTU to burden passengers.

“We don’t want any increase in fares. The taxes on the fuel, the government should reduce them and everything will be normal for everyone.”

“We are just pleading with the government that it should try as much as possible to let the fuel price come down,” he added.

Some drivers were, however, in favour of a hike in transport fares.

The Ashanti Regional branch of the GPRTU, for example, has threatened to strike if the government fails to ensure a reduction in the price of fuel.

“Our leaders are to blame. When the government increased fuel prices, we should have also increased the transport fares. This would let the government know they are serious,” one driver said.

“These red bands on our wrists and vehicles are unnecessary. I blame our union leaders,” he added.

Currently, most oil marketing companies in Ghana sell fuel around GHS 6.90 per litre.

Fuel prices in 2021 started at about GHS 5 per litre and are now threatening to cross the GHS 7 mark.