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Wa — Commuters in Wa within the Higher West Area say they’re compelled to pay astronomical hikes in transport fares by transport operators and a anxious journey ever since Doli Bridge within the Savannah Area was washed away by torrential rains practically every week in the past.
They’re subsequently calling on the federal government to repair the collapsed bridge and washed away portion of the street to avoid wasting them from the anxious ordeal.
They contend that they must endure between 17 to twenty hours of journey time bus from Wa to Accra, which initially was a 14 to fifteen hours journey in addition to between 10 and 12 hours for Wa to Kumasi, which had been beforehand an 8-hour journey time.
Investigations by the Ghanaian Occasions indicated that Intercity STC had elevated its fare from GH¢230 GH¢260 for Wa to Accra, whereas OA and VIP have reviewed theirs from GH¢270 to GH¢290 with Wa to Kumasi now GH¢190 as a substitute of GH¢170.
The VVIP stations had adjusted their fare from GH¢230 to GH¢260 for Wa to Accra, whereas the ESPON transport station was charging GH¢160 to GH¢180 for Wa to Kumasi.
As a result of diversion, transport operators within the area needed to modify their fares upward to be able to cowl the fee for the longer route they must ply on account of the street diversion.
Apart the hikes in transport fares, the commuters say the collapse of the Doli Bridge was having a severe financial influence to the residents within the space.
In accordance with them, the worth of meals within the space was rising because of the excessive price of transport and issue in carting meals from farms to the advertising and marketing centres.
The commuters additionally say the collapse of the bridge was affecting healthcare, since individuals who had been indisposed couldn’t be simply despatched to referral hospitals.
Madam Augustina Suglo, who had simply returned from Accra on Monday, mentioned they arrived in Wa at 12:00 p.m after the bus took off from Accra at 6:00 p.m on Sunday night, and purchased the ticket at GH¢260 as a substitute of the unique GH¢230.
“This Accra journey has turn into actually lengthy and anxious for us and we can’t patronise the flight both as a result of it is vitally costly,” she mentioned.
A dealer, Emelia Addo, mentioned Christmas season was quick approaching so authorities ought to repair the street to make it simpler for merchants to journey down south and import items to the area.
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The Senior Industrial Relations Officer of the Ghana Non-public Highway and Transport Union (GPRTU) within the area, Mr Nuhu Mahama, in an interview mentioned the adjustment was essential to cater for the additional price on account of plying the longer route, however assured that buses supervised by the union would return to the unique value when the street was mounted.
The Doli Bridge alongside the Wa-Kumasi Freeway, which linked the Higher West Area and neighbouring Burkina Faso to the Southern a part of Ghana, was washed away by a 12-hour rain final week, leaving a ditch in the midst of the street and making it tough for commuters to make use of the street.
Commuters, subsequently, needed to divert their journey to Sawla to undergo Damongo to hyperlink the Tamale to Techiman street and proceed from Techiman including additional hours to the journey.
The District Chief Govt (DCE) for Bole, Ms Veronica Alele Heming, in a cellphone interview with this newspaper said that the street could be mounted quickly.
The DCE who had visited the realm previous to the interview indicated that she noticed that massive stones had been moved to the affected space and expressed confidence that work would start quickly.
In the meantime, residents across the space have been crossing the Doli River to Bole and surrounding communities on boat for enterprise and different transactions.
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