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After the business raised transportation prices by 20% on Monday morning, several passengers at the VIP terminal of the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange had no choice but to blow their budget.
In light of the recent increases in fuel costs and other factors affecting its operations, VIP JEOUN Transport Limited applied its revised transport rates for long-distance travels on Monday morning (0700hours).
Under the new pricing regime, passengers travelling from Accra to Kumasi will be required to pay GHS 80.00 for Standard Coaches and GHS 100.00 for Executive Coaches.
The ticket for Accra to Tamale is now selling at GHS200.00 (standard) and GHS240.00 (Executive) while that of Accra to Takoradi costs 80.00.
All other long journeys from all of its terminals in the regional capitals have all gone up by 20 per cent.
In separate interactions with the Ghana News Agency, some passengers described the increment as “worrying”.
They said although they were unhappy about the new charges, they were aware that fuel prices had gone up, and had no option than to pay more.
“I heard in the news that fares would go up today so I prepared, but I didn’t know that it would increase this much,” Esther Kobla, a passenger, said.
Another passenger, Ernest Newman, said he had cancelled his trip in the morning because, “I am running on a tight budget”.
“I was supposed to go to Kumasi today to perform an important duty. But I have asked someone to step in for me because the transport fare is too much,” he said.
In an interview, Mr Ernest Frimpong Manso, General Manager, VIP JEOUN, said the increment in fuel prices had significantly affected its cost of operations, hence the increment.
“Before the recent increase in petroleum prices, in the past, a bus from Accra to Kumasi was given 200 litres of diesel to ply the route, which cost around GHS2, 700. Now, the same 200 litres is GHS3, 190.
“Given the old figures we were charging, it became abundantly clear that we were unable to sustain our business if we did not take immediate action,” he said.
Mr Manso said the company would review the new prices after 90 days based on the cost of the variables that affected its operations.
Checks conducted by the GNA indicate that as of 1200hours, the State Transport Company (STC) was yet to adjust its fares.
Officials at the STC Transport Terminal at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange told the GNA that its management was yet to officially communicate an increment in fares.
NKONKONSA.com
