Commuters are to brace themselves for an 8% upward adjustment of public transport fares as the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC) announce new transport fares.

Following a crunch meeting between transport operators and the government, an agreement was reached to adjust fares effective Saturday, September 26.

The adjustment was reached after weeks of consultations between the Ministry of Transport and major transport unions over the 2026 fare review.

Following the last increase in October 2025, no fares have been increased so far this year, despite proposals and negotiations between stakeholders over fare adjustments, citing rising fuel prices, operating costs and spare parts prices.

Govt, transport operators meeting

During a joint technical team meeting between the Ministry of Transport, headed by Joseph Bukari Nikpe, and the GPRTU and the GRTCC, the parties discussed how to balance the rising cost of running commercial transport services with the financial burden on commuters.

At the meeting, drivers and transport operators' unions presented their proposals, while the government outlined measures to cushion operators and passengers. These included a GH¢2 reduction per litre on diesel.

As of September 16, both the GPRTU and the Progressive Transport Owners’ Association (PROTOA) had maintained that no new fares had officially been approved.

With the latest agreement, commuters are expected to begin paying the revised fares from September 26.

The 8% adjustment will apply to commercial public transport services, including trotros and shared taxis, with operators expected to implement the new rates according to the agreed fare structure.

Price adjustment proposals this year

In the first quarter of 2026, between January and March, transport unions, especially the GPRTU, warned of possible fare hikes after petrol rose to GH₵14.32 per litre and diesel to GH₵16.10 per litre. Despite these warnings, no increase was implemented.

On July 27, 2026, GPRTU Deputy PRO Samuel Amoah announced that unions would seek a 30% increase, citing unsustainable operational costs. The following day, July 28, 2026, transport operators met with the Ministry of Transport to present the proposal. Negotiations are still ongoing, and no approval has yet been granted.

Meanwhile, despite warnings fro m the GPRTU to drivers over unapproved transport fares some drivers and their mates increased the fares not just by a small margin but some shot it up by over 150 percent.

Consequently, some drivers were arrested in Accra. On August 25, 2026, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) arrested six commercial transport operators in the Central Business District (CBD) for allegedly charging passengers above approved rates. The suspects were handed over to the police and scheduled to appear before the La Motor Court on August 26, 2026.

The arrests took place between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in Accra’s CBD. Those detained included three drivers and three bus conductors (“mates”). They were accused of charging passengers fares above the approved rates on routes to Awoshie, Kasoa, and Madina.

For example, a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter operating from the CBD to Awoshie charged GH₵15 instead of the approved GH₵7.50. A Toyota Hiace on the CBD–Kasoa route charged GH₵15 instead of GH₵10, while another Toyota Hiace on the CBD–Madina route charged GH₵10 instead of GH₵8.

The suspects were handed over to the police for prosecution. They were expected to be arraigned before the La Motor Court the following day. The arrests were made under the AMA (Operation of Commercial Vehicles) By-laws, 2017, which prohibit charging more than approved fares.