The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has announced that plans to increase transport fares by 30 per cent have been suspended following a meeting with the Ministry of Transport on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
Transport operators met with the Ministry to deliberate on the proposed fare hike, which operators argue is essential as rising fuel prices and the escalating cost of vehicle spare parts continue to strain their operations.
The engagement followed persistent calls by transport unions for an upward review of fares to keep their businesses sustainable.
Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, the Deputy Public Relations Officer for the GPRTU, Samuel Amoah, explained that the union presented its concerns to negotiate possible measures with the government to address sector challenges.
He noted that the Ministry appealed to the unions to hold off on any fare adjustments while steps are taken to resolve the issues.
“We met with the Ministry, and they have appealed to us to suspend the plan to increase fares as they take steps in dealing with the issues we have raised. So we have agreed to wait. If the prices of fuel increase, we will go back and engage with the Ministry.”
Meanwhile, the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has urged the government to reintroduce the fuel price intervention originally deployed during the peak of the Middle East crisis. COPEC argued that the previous measure successfully mitigated the impact of rising petroleum prices on transport operators, motorists, and businesses.
Reacting to the proposal, Mr Amoah described it as a welcome call that the government ought to implement.
“That is a positive call, and we support it. It came up during our discussion, and we have asked the government to take steps in suspending taxes that can provide us with relief. We proposed reintroducing the fuel price intervention introduced during the peak of the Middle East crisis. This will help reduce the impact of rising petroleum prices on consumers and businesses.”
He added that the unions intend to engage the government further to find lasting solutions to the rising cost of petroleum products.
However, should these engagements fail, they will present a formal fare adjustment proposal for negotiation.
Highlighting the effectiveness of past measures, he recalled that previous interventions reduced diesel prices by GH¢2 per litre and petrol prices by GH¢2.09 per litre during peak fuel cost surges.
Mr Amoah concluded by advising all commercial drivers to refrain from arbitrarily increasing transport fares until an official approval is granted.
By:;Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
