In Ghana, spare parts dealers reject price increases as grounds for a 30% fare hike
In Ghana, the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association rejected claims that higher spare parts prices were grounds for a proposed 30% increase in commercial transport fares. This was reported by MyJoyOnline.
Spare parts dealers’ position
The association described statements by the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council and the Ghana Private Road Transport Union as false and misleading. The dealers insist that there has been no significant increase in spare parts prices that could justify a fare adjustment.
According to them, prices for key automotive components, including engine oil and filters, have not changed. They also reported stable stock levels at the Abossey Okai spare parts market and no significant changes in import duties or market conditions.
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Transport operators’ arguments
The Ghana Private Road Transport Union and other participants in the transport sector proposed a 30% fare increase, citing higher operating costs. Among the factors, they named the cost of spare parts, lubricants, insurance and other expenses related to operating commercial vehicles.
The union also said that the fare adjustment had become necessary despite government intervention which, according to it, reduced the impact of a diesel price increase by 2 Ghanaian cedis per litre. The final decision on changing fares is to be determined after discussions and negotiations with the relevant parties.
Call for transparent calculations
The dealers’ association called on regulators, transport unions and other participants in the process to use independently verifiable economic indicators when making decisions on fares. It also questioned transport operators’ references to the Abossey Okai market, noting that some operators themselves had said they purchased spare parts online rather than from dealers at that market.
