The government is set to hold crucial talks with transport unions on February 11, aimed at addressing plans to increase transport fares amidst the persistent rise in fuel prices.
This meeting comes as commuters and transport operators express growing concerns over the economic burden of fluctuating fuel costs on transportation services nationwide.
The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), one of the largest transport unions, recently announced that the threshold for fare adjustments has been met due to consecutive fuel price hikes in January.
According to the GPRTU, the continuous increase in fuel costs, combined with other operational expenses, has made it financially unsustainable for commercial drivers to maintain the current fare structure without adjustments.
Transport Minister Joseph Nikpe Bukari assured journalists on February 10 that the government is committed to engaging with stakeholders to ensure a fair 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.”