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The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has distanced itself from the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council’s 20 per cent transport fare hike on Friday, August 8, 2025.
According to the GPRTU, they were surprised by the 20 per cent transport fare announcement as they were not consulted.
Samuel Amoah, the Public Relations Officer of the GPRTU, revealed that the decision by the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council was unilateral.
Speaking on JoyNews on Tuesday, August 5, Samuel Amoah stated, “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 had no idea about this very increment”.
“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 practising for all this time. So this time around, when we saw this communique, we were a bit surprised,” he added.
He added, “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.”
The GPRTU comments come after the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council announced that transport fares will go up by 20% effective Friday, August 8, 2025.
According to the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council, the directive is in collaboration with transport unions.
In their statement, signed by Emmanuel Ohene-Yeboah, General Secretary, and Alhaji Tanko, Acting National Chairman of the Council, revealed that the price increase is due to three key developments.
The transport operators stated that despite the implementation of a 15% fare reduction on May 21, 2025, the price of spare parts, goods, and services has not experienced a corresponding reduction.
The introduction of a GH¢1.00 per litre fuel levy has led to an estimated 8% increase in fuel prices.
Also, the rising cost of maintenance costs due to deteriorating road conditions across the country.
Meanwhile, the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has rejected the transport fare hike announced by the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC).
According to COPEC, the proposed fare hike is unjustifiable given the current economic pressures on ordinary Ghanaians.
Duncan Amoah, the Executive Secretary of COPEC, revealed that his checks from the transport unions and the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) indicate no decision has been made to increase fares by 20 per cent on Friday, August 8.
COPEC argued that the reasons stated by the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council cannot be used as a basis for punishing the suffering Ghanaian
COPEC in a statement stated, “On the balance of odds or numbers, the pricing levels as of today are still not anywhere near the January prices from which transport fare discussions could be had, and such is our surprise at the attempts by a section of transport operators to justify a further increase in fares as of this time”.
“The above argument, though true, cannot and should not be the basis for punishing the suffering Ghanaian masses as the overall effect of the new One Ghana levy is still not sufficient to wipe out the sustained reductions recorded at the pumps over the past couple of months”.
The statement added, “It is imperative to note that, an intention which has not yet been enforced cannot and should not form the basis of any increases in transport fares as the effects will not only be felt by the already suffering masses but will further diffuse genuine outcry by the people for the cost of goods and services to be reduced across all sectors to bring some relief”.
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