Passengers who depend on the Dambai ferry for their daily commute have suspended a planned demonstration scheduled for today [Monday, April 27], following last-minute appeals from community leaders to allow space for dialogue on recent fare adjustments.
The protest, which had been gaining momentum among residents and regular ferry users, was in response to what commuters describe as a steep and abrupt increase in transport fares.
The cost of crossing the river has been raised from GH¢4 to GH¢7, a move that triggered widespread dissatisfaction among passengers who rely heavily on the ferry service for work, trading, schooling, and other essential activities.
Many commuters argue that the increment places an additional financial burden on already-strained household budgets, particularly for those who make multiple crossings in a day.
The absence of prior consultation before the implementation of the new fares further fuelled frustration, with affected passengers insisting that their concerns were not taken into account before the decision was made.
Assembly Member for the Dambai Central Electoral Area, Awuranyi Charles, explained that although the demonstration had been firmly planned, intervention from opinion leaders in the area led to its postponement.
“We had decided to demonstrate against the ferry price moving from GH¢4 to GH¢7. But we were called by the opinion leaders to hold on with that demonstration.”
