The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has expressed deep disappointment over the omission of key commitments regarding the transport sector from the recently presented Mid-Year Budget Review.
The Union had anticipated that the Minister for Finance would address pledges previously made by the Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, concerning the acquisition of buses for private operators.
The initiative was intended to mitigate mounting congestion, persistent queues, and the daily frustrations faced by commuters nationwide.
Recalling the transport difficulties earlier this year, when the capital and other regions experienced severe vehicle shortages, Deputy Public Relations Officer for the GPRTU, Samuel Amoah, dismissed allegations that the Union had created artificial shortages.
He clarified that the disruption was caused by a high number of damaged vehicles undergoing repairs at mechanics’ workshops.
To alleviate the crisis, the government had promised swift intervention by expanding public transport capacity through the introduction of high-occupancy buses.
During an emergency meeting in Accra with ministers and transport union leaders—including representatives from the GPRTU, the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana, the Ghana Committed Drivers Association, and the Ghana National Cargo Transport Association—Vice President Opoku-Agyemang announced plans to deploy buses to support Metro Mass Transit, Ayalolo, and private transport operators.
However, presenting the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review of the 2026 Budget in Parliament on Thursday, 23 July 2026, the Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, disclosed that GH¢400 million had been set aside strictly to expand the operations of state-owned entities, specifically Metro Mass Transit Limited and the Intercity State Transport Corporation (STC).
Reacting to the announcement, Mr Amoah noted that the financial allocation diverged from earlier commitments and failed to meet the expectations of the Union. He added that the leadership of the GPRTU would soon engage the government on the next course of action.
Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, he stated:
“The budget review read yesterday did not meet our expectations. We had expected the Minister to touch on core issues, but we did not hear about them. First was the issue about the buses they promised to purchase for the private sector operators to deal with the shortage of buses and long queues across the country. We were accused of creating artificial shortages, but we made them know that it was not the case; several of our buses were damaged and at the workshops.
So in January this year, we met with the Vice President, who pledged that government will allocate funds to purchase buses and share them among the private sector operators and state transport services. But when the Minister presented the budget review, he did not touch on that. We manage about 80 per cent of the transport sector as private operators, and so it was our expectation that authorities would have prioritised us.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
