Extortion

Dear Sanda,

Leaving home today with my budgeted transportation fare met me with surprise when the conductor took more than what he should have taken when I paid my fare.

How are you and how is the family, I miss them, especially times we spent in the farms will go a long way to make me decide whether indeed if I will still continue journalism in social issues or journalism in agriculture, but any way, if I decide to choose any, I won’t hesitate to tell you what influenced that decision.

As a student like many others where our transportation is budgeted by our parents before leaving the house, you should have seen the disappointment on my face when the conductor (mate) took 20p more from my transport fare without giving me any explanation.

 And to later find out my money was taken away from me illegally by a driver and his conductor, it left me wondering what role do the GPRTU play in regulating our transport fare, because from where I am seated, they are not doing anything laudable at all, as I continue, I will tell you why I believe the GPRTU’s power is not been used to the benefit of passengers but some selfish drivers who want to make all the money in a day in one trip.

 I do have a cause to complain, it isn’t like they are going to pay back my money to me but at least I will still save some people’s money and let them plan another percentage for illegal collection of transport fare , or else they are made to  get down from the car because of lack of planning , or get bullied by the passengers or the conductor for demanding the right thing to be done.

 Sanda, I boarded a car from Achimota to Tema station and the conductor took 20 pesewa more, instead of the original one Ghana cedi I should have paid.

On a different end, my sister shared her experience with me while plying the road from 37 station to Ofankor barrier, the conductor took more than what he should have taken. Instead of taking 1cedi 40 pesewa he took 1cedi 60 pesewa.

And this all happened on the Thursday the Union said no driver should take the percentage increment until Saturday.

Just this morning when I was heading to campus, the driver took 30% more from me, when I told him that the GPRTU's regulation was for  tomorrow. he told me that it was but they have already started buying petrol for the vehicles. it only goes to show GPRTU has no control over its members

Just imagine the number of people in the car, with each and everyone paying additional 20 pesewa. You can start calculating how much they will be getting illegally.

When I was looking round to see if any passenger did have a displeasure paying that extra cost, they looked okay, but I wasn’t, I  am a  student and money given to me from home is not increased with excesses like these one when am already in the car.

 I did get to my destination although the conductor did spoil my budget. After I got to the work place and was listening to the day’s news, the general secretary of GPRTU was telling passengers to report any driver or conductor (mate) who takes more than what was required from them.

Then the million dollar question popped up, how does a passenger walks to the police station to report a driver who illegally cheated him when he has commitments to honour in town. You and I will agree that the bureaucracy in our public system alone will waste your time and you will end up leaving the case as it is.

 Now to my question, does the GPRTU has control over its drivers? , from my point of view, passengers plying the Ofankor-Amasaman road are always extorted from morning to evening. When you wake up on a typical morning and there is no car to take you to town. The car that comes in will demand one Ghana cedi instead of the original eighty pesewa that the passengers should pay.

The station in the area even takes more from the passengers in the name of “I paid loading fee” so the passenger must pay an extra amount. This has been going on for a very long time and I believe it is high time the GPRTU takes a swipe at this local trotro stations, because they are extorting too much from the passenger who will rather pay than have a problem on his early hour to work.

 I can vouch that in my area for instance, even if the GPRTU comes up with the prices, most trotro drivers do not respect it and take what they think is right.

Sanda I hope the union will be up and running because its members are extorting the lay Ghanaian of his money.

I hope when next a conductor intends to extort your money from you; you defend yourself so you don’t let them always believe they have a right to extort money from us.