The Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Alhaji Abbas Ibrahim Moro, has appealed to commuters not to assault commercial drivers who fail to comply with the newly announced 15% reduction in transport fares.
This plea comes after the Union confirmed that transport fares will drop by 15% starting Saturday, May 25, 2025, following a consensus reached during a meeting between the GPRTU National Executive and officials from the Ministry of Transport.
“We met with the Transport Ministry today, and after a marathon meeting, we finally decided to reduce transport fares by 15 percent, effective coming Saturday,” Alhaji Moro said in an upcoming interview with Alfred Ocansey on Ghana Tonight.
While emphasizing that the directive is binding, he cautioned drivers against flouting the decision, noting that passengers have the right to report non-compliant drivers.
“Each time we increase lorry fares, everyone complies. So if there is a reduction, the same must apply. If any driver refuses to reduce fares, passengers should report them to the nearest police station. We are not saying they should be beaten—please, we are pleading, no violence.”
Asked if drivers should be arrested, he clarified, “It is the public that would be affected by any refusal to comply, so we are urging them to act within the law and report offenders. Once the directive is fully implemented, we will also take internal steps to weed out non-compliant members.”
The decision to reduce fares follows calls from the public and stakeholders for lower transport costs, especially after recent reductions in fuel prices. Alhaji Moro explained that the fare cut is also part of the Union’s support for the government’s economic reset agenda.
“Fuel prices have dropped by about 18%, and our tradition is to divide that by three and use a third to guide fare changes. But we opted for 15% this time. We hope our brothers in the spare parts business will also follow suit.”
He added that the GPRTU did not wait for other cost components—such as lubricant prices or documentation fees—to drop before initiating the fare reduction.
“Lubricants are still priced high, and costs related to permits, taxes, and DVLA services have not changed. But we are making this move in good faith.”
The GPRTU has committed to monitoring compliance and maintaining discipline within the union to ensure the reduction benefits all commuters.
