Transport Fares Go Up In Kwahu Area

Transport Fares Go Up In Kwahu Area

Due to traffic caused by Kwahu Easter, drivers at the Atibie-Nkawkaw taxi rank in the Kwahu South Municipality of the Eastern Region have opted to raise their rates. Before the Easter holiday, travelers from Nkwakwa to Atibie paid GH$10.00; now, they pay GH$15.00 for the same trip. Due to the Easter holiday, there was considerable traffic in practically all of the towns in the Kwahu area.

As a result, drivers had to spend a lot of time finding alternate routes through the traffic jam. Drivers had to raise their prices to cover their increased fuel costs as a result of the traffic because it prevented them from moving at their normal speed to capitalize on the occasion.

After the Easter festivities, some of the drivers told Graphic Online that they will resume charging the old rates. Kofi Yeboah, a driver who travels the Atibie-Nkawkaw route, claimed that the Easter traffic was making their operation unprofitable.

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He said that the drivers had not raised the fares in an effort to take advantage of the Easter revelers but rather to prevent a loss.

“The high traffic build-up is affecting us so much in terms of gasoline expenditure,” Mr. Yeboah remarked of the delayed vehicle movement.

Amoah Tawiah, a different taxi driver, claimed that the increase was very appropriate given the Easter holiday and the fact that their vehicles could not move as easily as they could on other days. According to some passengers who filed complaints, it was wrong for the drivers to demand gratuities from them. Akosua Korang, an Accra resident and native of Atibie, stated that it was not a smart idea for the local taxi drivers to raise their prices given the lack of a rise in gasoline prices.

She felt that the taxi drivers were impeding people’s ability to walk around freely and enjoy the party. “Don’t take advantage of the Easter celebrations or heavy traffic build up to increase taxi fares because you are also making things difficult for people to enjoy the celebration,” she said.