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Uber, Bolt drivers in Ghana begin strike action

By George Nyavor
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Drivers on the various ride-hailing apps in Ghana have started a two-day strike action to pile pressure on managers of the apps to reset their systems to increase ride fares.

The drivers believe that their call for an increase in fares is consistent with the recent increase of petroleum products at the pumps.

Fuel prices in the first few days of this month shot up from GHS 5.45 to GHS 6.5 following new taxes introduced in the 2021 budget statement and the upward revision in the Price-Build-Up (PBU) margins of petrol and diesel by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).

Coming together as Ghana Online Drivers Union, drivers on the Uber, Bolt and Yango platforms say they remain resolute in their demand. 

The strike begins today, Tuesday, May 11 to Wednesday, May 12, 2021.

“The users of the app should stay away from requesting rides. Some might want to be online but if the riders don’t request, the app operators will also notice that there is something going on. So it’s taking effect today. We would encourage every online driver to for our own safety and for the betterment of the work that we are doing to stay offline so that the app operators will know that we are serious,” a spokesperson of the Union, Benjamin Arthur, said on Tuesday.

He also called on users of the platforms to cooperate with them.

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President of the Union, Francis Tenge, told the media that the hike in fuel prices is taking on toll on their business.

“The base fare on Uber and Bolt is GHS 4 as compared to that of a taxi which is also GHS 4, but they don’t pay service fee we do. And so, an increase in fuel prices means we aren’t making any money and our wives are complaining,” he said.

“We are also calling on the government to regulate the app companies. Because of competition, they are all doing whatever they want to gain the market. So, if the government comes in and regulates the market, everything will be normal,” he added.