UNORTHODOX loading practices by some commercial drivers are imposing additional financial burdens on commuters, with many passengers compelled to pay double the approved transport fares during peak hours, even when travelling to the same destination.
The situation affects commuters travelling to and from various parts of the national capital, where some drivers have resorted to short distances to make more money.
For example, from Ashaiman to Accra or Circle now break the journey into segments. They load from Ashaiman to Lashibi and charge GH¢5.50, then from Lashibi to Nungua for GH¢3.50, Nungua to Teshie for GH¢4.00, before finally loading to Circle and charging GH¢10.00.
By the time a passenger reaches Circle, the total fare paid far exceeds the approved amount for a direct journey.
This practice forces passengers to make multiple stops and board different vehicles before reaching their final destinations, increasing both cost and travel time.
Several commuters, who spoke to The Ghanaian Times in Accra, said some commercial drivers had taken advantage of the poorly regulated public transport system to exploit already hard-pressed passengers on a daily basis.
Cliff Ekuful reports that commuters on the Ashaiman–Accra–Circle stretch continue to suffer under this ungodly arrangement.
Similarly, KINGSLEY ASARE reports from the Circle–Nsawam route that the situation is no different, as trotro drivers continue to fleece commuters by breaking the journey into bits and pieces. Although the approved fare from Circle to Nsawam is GH¢12.00, yet passengers end up paying as much as GH¢30.00.
Some drivers split the journey into Circle to Achimota, Achimota to Amasaman, and Amasaman to Nsawam, charging GH¢10.00 for each segment.
“Living along the Nsawam stretch is becoming hell and expensive because it is difficult to get vehicles to and from Circle,” lamented George Ansah, a commuter.
Another commuter, Gifty Amponsah, appealed to the government to deploy more buses on the Nsawam–Circle route to ease the daily stress passengers go through.
STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG reports that similar dishonest practices occur on the Kasoa–Circle route, where drivers often announce short destinations, charge the fare, and later change the destination mid-journey. Drivers operating from Kasoa to Barrier, a suburb of Accra, usually announce only a mid-point destination and later demand additional fares before continuing to the final destination.
“For example, a journey from Circle to Kasoa ordinarily costs GH¢11.00. However, instead of loading straight to Kasoa, drivers load from Circle to Kaneshie and charge GH¢4.00. At Kaneshie, the same driver loads to Odorkor and charges GH¢6.00, then from Odorkor to Kasoa for about GH¢10.00,” a passenger said. “By the end of the journey, the driver makes an extra GH¢10.00 at the expense of commuters.”
In some instances, drivers do not even split the journey but arbitrarily increase fares.
By STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG
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