Public transport fares to rise 8% from Saturday after unions and government agree

Pinned summary · as of 06:55

Passengers on trotros, shared taxis and other commercial transport across Ghana will pay 8% more from Saturday, 26 September 2026. The rise follows an agreement between the government and transport unions, reached after several weeks of talks on the year's fare review.

What we know

• Fares on commercial public transport will go up by 8% from Saturday, 26 September 2026, under a deal between the government and transport unions.
• The new rates are to cover trotros and shared taxis, with Rainbow Radio Online adding long-distance buses.
• Before the figure was settled, a joint technical team drawn from the transport ministry, the private road transport union (GPRTU) and the road transport coordinating council (GRTCC) examined what it costs to run commercial vehicles.
• The unions asked for a rise because running costs had climbed, and operators had pressed for an increase of between 25 and 30 per cent before accepting the lower figure.
• The government said it is cutting the diesel price by GH₵2 a litre as a cushion for operators and commuters. The unions met the ministry on 8 September to present their case.
• As recently as mid-September, the GPRTU and another operators' body, the Progressive Transport Owners' Association (PROTOA), said no new fares had been approved, and they cautioned drivers against charging above approved rates.
• Samuel Amoah, the GPRTU's Deputy Industrial and Public Relations Officer, said the union accepted the smaller rise because it anticipates cheaper fuel when the next pricing window opens.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Rainbow Radio Online reported that some drivers had already started charging about 25 per cent more at several Accra stations, among them Dansoman, Lapaz, Abeka and Kwame Nkrumah Circle, citing examples such as GH₵16 in place of GH₵12 and GH₵8 in place of GH₵6. It also described arguments at loading points; no other report has confirmed these accounts.
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  Mr Amoah told Rainbow Radio Online that drivers who have already begun collecting the new fares are acting illegally and should wait until Saturday. That warning comes from one report only.
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  According to The Vaultz News, Mr Amoah said the union would go back to the ministry should the anticipated drop in fuel prices fail to come. This has not been reported elsewhere, and the government has not been quoted on the promise.
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  The Ghana Report published what it described as a communiqué from the GPRTU and GRTCC, which also lists a detailed fare schedule, including a shared taxi fare of GH₵1.70 moving to GH₵1.90 and a top long-distance fare of GH₵300 moving to GH₵324. It also says haulage services are included and that talks ran from 8 to 22 September. Other reports have not confirmed these details.
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  The Ghana Report said the unions warned of sanctions for operators who exceed approved fares and told operators to display the new fare chart at terminals. No other report carries this.

Why it matters for Ghana

Trotros and shared taxis carry most daily commuters in Accra, Kumasi and other cities, so an 8% rise adds directly to the weekly transport bill of workers, traders and students. The pace of adjustment will depend on whether drivers wait for Saturday and on whether the expected fall in fuel prices arrives, since the union has tied its acceptance of the lower increase to that.