The 15 per cent downward adjustment in transportation fares by the various trans­port unions which was greeted with excitement by Ghanaians, took off on Saturday with the expectation that all commercial drivers will comply with the directive without hesitation.It came to light that while some drivers heeded the directive and gave passengers a relief through the reduc­tion, some drivers decided otherwise and still maintained the old fares with varying excuses resulting in the usual passenger-driver's mate agitations on the buses.While some of the drivers say they were yet to get the "go ahead" from the mother unions to start the reduc­tion, others said they have not heard about it.The Ghanaian Times observed that drivers plying the Accra-Mallam route and Kwame Nkrumah Inter­change-Amasaman route have flouted the directive and still charging the old fares.Meanwhile, The Ghanaian Times has observed that some trotro drivers have decided to exploit the situation by in­dulging in a trick popularly known as 'Short, short' where instead of taking the passenger to their destination, they would rather drop them off a distance and then pick a new set of passengers who are also dropped at a distance, and another set picked where at the end of the day they would have made lots of money on the same journey.SAMUEL AGBEWODE reports from the Volta Regional capital Ho, that lorry fares from Ho to Accra which was GH¢70, was now reduced to GH¢60, and Ho to Asikuma which was GH¢24 now GH¢20, Ho to Kpong was GH¢36 and now GH¢31, Ho to Koforidua was GH¢72 and now reduced to GH¢62, Ho to Kumasi was GH¢145 and reduced to GH¢130, Ho to Kpando was GH¢35 and now GH¢30.From Ho to Hohoe was GH¢40 and the new fare is GH¢35, while Ho to Kpeve previously GH¢20 is now GH¢15.00, and Ho to Dambai from GH¢90 to GH¢85.From the Upper East Region, FRANCIS DABRE DABANG, reports that at the main lorry station in Bolgatanga, most station Chairmen had not implemented the downward adjustment of fares as of the time The Ghanaian Times visited the stations.The Songtaaba station on the other hand reduced the fares marginally, pending further 'considerable' reduc­tion today.Passengers travelling from Bolga to Accra are now paying GH¢240.00 in­stead of the original fare of GH¢250. 00.

Bolga-Kumasi which was GH¢200. 00 has been reduced to GH¢190. 00From Cape Coast, DAVID O.

YARBOI-TETTEH reports that some drivers were charging the old fares, as others had adhered to the directive as announced by the leadership of the transport unions.A driver's mate on a Winneba-Ta­koradi bound vehicle said they were still charging the old fare because they were yet to receive the price list.He said they anticipate the price list to be out with effect from today.Passengers on board the vehicle complained about the way the drivers were behaving in not charging the approved fares.Taxi drivers within the Cape Coast metropolis are however adhering to the new transport fare of 15 per cent reduction.Drivers plying the Kwame Nk­rumah Interchange to Kasoa route remained non-compliant with the story the same for drivers on the Accra Nsawam route who still collect the old fares. BY TIMES REPORTERS