The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC), have announced that no decision has yet been taken on the review of public transport fares for the 2026 fare window.
The decision was announced following the commencement of formal consultations with the Ministry of Transport this week on the fare issue.
In a joint press release issued by the leadership of both bodies, the Unions said they were updating the public, passengers, drivers, station masters and transport owners on the status of ongoing engagements with the Ministry regarding the proposed fare review, stressing that the process remained at a consultative stage.
Mr Awili Lawrence Atito, the GPRTU Vice President in the Volta Region, told the Ghana News Agency, that a consultation formally began at a meeting held with the Minister for Transport and his technical team in Accra on September 8, and described the engagement as being held in the spirit of the long-standing social partnership between government and transport operators.
He explained that the meeting reflected a shared responsibility between the government and transport operators to keep the country moving safely, reliably and affordably, while the discussions were conducted in a cordial and constructive manner.
“At the meeting, we presented a formal proposal for an upward review of public transport fares, and cited prevailing economic conditions affecting the cost of running commercial transport services across the country,” he said
Mr Atito stressed that in response, the government gave a briefing on the prevailing macroeconomic conditions and ongoing measures to stabilise the cedi, including, a GHS 2.00 per litre intervention on the price of diesel, which was intended to cushion both transport operators and the travelling public against rising fuel costs.
He said both parties acknowledged the value of the fuel intervention and agreed that its full impact on operating costs, together with the proposal for a fare increment, required further engagement before any determination was made on fares, and that no decision to adjust transport fares had been taken yet.
“To ensure that the eventual outcome is fair and in the best interest of both operators and the travelling public, the Unions disclosed that a joint team comprising representatives of the Ministry of Transport, the GPRTU and the GRTCC be formed to review all cost inputs associated with the fare determination process,” he said.
He assured the public that the outcome of the review exercise would be communicated in due course, once the joint team completed its assessment of the various cost factors under consideration.
In the meantime, the GPRTU and GRTCC had reassured the general public that existing approved fares remained in force across the country, and urged all their members, including drivers, station masters and transport owners, to maintain the current approved fares until further notice.
The Unions further appealed to all drivers, station masters, transport owners and the travelling public to remain calm, orderly and cooperative as the consultative process run its full course and cautioned against any unilateral fare adjustments ahead of an official determination.
He said the Driver Unions were fully committed to a fair and transparent process as engagements with the Ministry of Transport continue.
GNA
