The Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) has reviewed the exorbitant ferry charges on the Senchi Ferry on the Volta River, effective Tuesday, March 25 while the review awaits parliamentary approval.
The new charges, according to the Director of Public Affairs at the GHA, Mr Nobert Kwamo, are salon cars, which used to pay GH�10, would now pay GH�6 while urvan buses, pickups and 4x4 vehicles would pay GH�8 instead of GH�12.
Light buses and mini trucks, which used to pay GH�15, would now pay GH�10 and long buses and two axle load tipper trucks would now be paying GH�12 instead of GH�20. Motorbike charge of GH�1 remains unchanged.
Mr Nobert Kwamo said this on Uniiq FM�s �Behind the news� programme on Monday night when he was engaged in a discussion on the inconveniences and difficulties commuters have raised on the high charges they were made to pay on the Senchi Ferry across the Volta River at the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region.
A new addition, the GHA Public Affairs Director mentioned, was the introduction of charges pedestrians would be made to pay, explaining that most pedestrians were abusing the system on the ferry.
This means passengers would pay 50 pesewas for boarding the ferry �and that would help us rake in money to maintain the vehicle, help us know the number of passengers onboard the vehicle so that in case of an eventuality we would know how to safeguard ourselves.�
Mr Kwamo observed that some passengers onboard the ferries trade on them by taking pictures and printing them out on sale to other passengers on the pontoon while others board the ferries continuously to and from the two landing sites at Old Akrade and Senchi just for pleasure.
Another charge passengers would have to accept, he said, is the charge of between GH�1 and GH�2 they would have to pay for their luggage, effective yesterday, Tuesday, March 25.
The new ferry charges would bring some financials relief to drivers especially, who have not been comfortable with the high ferry charges since it started operation on March 10, this year.
That, in consequence, would compel drivers to also review their transportation fares, which went up by 20% following the high ferry charges.
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