GPRTU Rejects 20% Transport Fare Increase

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) says it has no part in the recent 20% increase in public transport fares announced by the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC).

This new initiative is expected to take effect on Friday, August 8, 2025.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Tuesday, August 5, 2025 the Public Relations Officer of the GPRTU, Mr. Samuel Amoah, expressed shock over the announcement, saying the union was not consulted or informed ahead of the decision.

“Yes, we’ve seen the release from GRTCC talking about the increasing transport fares by 20% this Friday. When we saw the communique, we were a bit surprised, because we have no idea about this very increment,” Mr. Amoah highlighted.

He explained that transport fare adjustments are typically agreed upon only after consultations among the GPRTU, the GRTCC, and the Ministry of Transport. These discussions usually end with a joint press release that officially informs the public.

“What we normally do is that anytime there has to be an increment, the GPRTU, the GRTCC and the Transport Ministry will all come up with a joint statement. This has been the norm and what we’ve been practicing for all this while. So this time around, when we saw this communique, we were a bit surprised,” he added.

When asked whether any behind-the-scenes talks had taken place, Mr. Amoah stated clearly: “It’s very new to us. And two, we are not part of whatever agreement that they had. We were not informed, as we normally do. Nothing of that sort came to us as GPRTU.”

“For now we want to tell our members is that they should all come down, nobody should go ahead and think of increasing transport fares, we are working things together, if it comes up that we should increase transport fares, we will come up with a joint communique to inform the public”, he instructed.

Despite GPRTU’s disapproval, the GRTCC insists the 20% fare increment is justified due to major challenges currently affecting transport operators.

In a press release signed by Emmanuel Ohene-Yeboah, General Secretary, and Alhaji Tanko, Acting National Chairman of the Council on August 5^th, 2025, the GRTCC listed three main reasons for the fare hike:

No relief in spare parts costs: Operators claim that after the 15% fare reduction in May 2025, there has been no matching decrease in the prices of spare parts and other essential goods.

New fuel levy: The introduction of a GH₵1.00 per litre fuel levy has led to an 8% increase in fuel prices, which has directly impacted the running costs of transport businesses.

Poor road conditions: Many roads across the country have worsened, forcing drivers to spend more on vehicle maintenance.

According to the statement, the 20% fare hike applies to all public transport services, including shared taxis, intra-city ‘trotro’ buses, long-distance intercity buses, and haulage services.

“THE NEW FARES TAKE EFFECT FROM FRIDAY, 8 AUGUST 2025. We kindly request all Commercial Transport Operators / Companies to comply with the new fares and post same at their loading terminals. We further request all Operators, Commuters, and the General Public to cooperate for the successful implementation of the new fares.” the release stated.

The Council also appealed to passengers, drivers, and the general public to support the smooth implementation of the new fares.

However, the disagreement between the two major transport bodies, the GRTCC and GPRTU, has raised new concerns about coordination and transparency in the transport sector.

The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has also strongly opposed the proposed fare increment. The group argues that commuters are already burdened by economic hardships and should not be made to suffer further.

The last fare adjustment occurred in May 2025, when prices were reduced by 15% due to government interventions and a slight drop in fuel prices. But the GRTCC argues that recent developments, including the new fuel levy and worsening roads, have forced them to re-evaluate the fare structure.

Transport operators say their operational costs keep rising, and without this fare increase, they may not be able to sustain their services.