Government must have a say in transport fare decisions – Edudzi Tameklo
Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Edudzi Tameklo, has urged caution against unilateral decisions on public transport fares, stressing that the sector is too important to the economy to be left to a few actors acting independently.
His comments come in response to the announced 20 percent increase in transport fares by transport unions.
Speaking on TV3, Mr Tameklo noted that decisions regarding transport pricing must be carefully considered due to their wide-reaching effects on economic activity and the general public.
He warned that transport is a key economic lifeline and should not be controlled in a way that sidelines broader national interest.
“Transport is such an essential thing as far as this economy is concerned that at no point in time should, with respect, a few people hijack the process,” he said.
He further argued that government cannot completely disengage from the transport sector and leave all decisions solely in the hands of private operators.
“The state cannot, under no circumstance, leave transportation wholly in the hands of private people,” he stated.
Mr Tameklo also cautioned that poorly managed transport decisions could have wider implications beyond pricing, including potential risks to national stability.
“A private person who does not believe in the welfare of the state may actually use transport issues as a potent mechanism for creating national security uncertainty,” he said.
He appealed to transport operators to engage government through dialogue rather than taking unilateral actions that could negatively affect commuters and businesses.
“I strongly believe that this government has demonstrated absolute good faith to our transport owners, particularly the private sector, and I want to believe that they should reciprocate that kind gesture by not undertaking any unilateral decision that would impact negatively on the economy,” he added.
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