Govt to meet transport unions over fare hikes amid rising fuel prices

The government is set to engage in high-level discussions with transport unions today, February 11, regarding their plans to increase transport fares in response to the persistent rise in fuel prices.

This engagement comes in the wake of growing concerns among commuters and transport operators about the economic burden of fluctuating fuel costs and its impact on transportation services across the country.

This latest development follows a statement issued by the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), one of the largest transport unions in the country, indicating that the threshold for fare adjustments has been met due to consecutive fuel price hikes recorded throughout January.

According to the GPRTU, the continual increase in fuel costs, combined with other operational expenses, has made it financially unviable for commercial drivers to maintain the current fare structure without adjustments.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, February 10, the Minister for Transport, Joseph Nikpe Bukari, provided assurances that the government remains committed to engaging all relevant stakeholders to ensure a fair and balanced outcome.

He expressed optimism that a reasonable pricing structure could be established to address the concerns of both transport operators and commuters.

“Tomorrow, we will be engaging them and so I wouldn’t want to say anything about them till I have fully engaged them. But they are cooperating. If you watch over the news portals, you will see that they have written to their colleagues to give us some time, meaning that we are in the process of having a better understanding as to how much they would charge our passengers.

“So we are talking with them. Tomorrow, we will continue and do not want to make anything public because they are not here. I have their trust that they will work with us and we will get to some agreement or to some level that will be beneficial to all of us.”