Transport fares to go up by 30% effective March 7

The Transport Operators Union and the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana have announced a 30 percent increase in transport fares effective March 7, 2024.

In a statement issued on Monday, March 4, the two bodies attributed the fare increase to the government’s failure to address their concerns adequately.

They highlighted the continuous surge in fuel prices, which has significantly impacted their livelihoods and made it challenging to sustain their operations.

Describing the fare adjustment as essential for business sustainability, they called on the government to engage with their leaders to smoothly implement the fare adjustments.

Below is the full statement

Regional Chairmen of both the Transport Operators Union and the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana are announcing our intention to consider a fare increment in response to the recent hike in fuel prices across the country.

As drivers’ associations, we expressed disappointment in the leadership for failing to address the concerns and implement fare adjustments to counterbalance the increased operational costs.

The continuous rise in fuel prices has had a significant impact on our livelihoods, leading to financial strains and hardships in maintaining our operations.

We would like to express our disappointment in our leadership, Despite the escalating costs of fuel, our leadership has not taken proactive measures to increase fares in line with market conditions.

This has prompted us Regional executives to consider fare adjustments as a necessary step to sustain our businesses.

The fare adjustments are essential to ensure the financial viability of the transportation sector and to maintain the quality of service provided to the public. The failure of the government to address this critical issue has left us with no choice but to consider fare increments as a means of coping with the escalating operational costs.

We are calling on the government and relevant authorities to engage in constructive dialogue with our leaders to address the challenges faced by our sector and to implement fare adjustments that reflect the current economic realities.

Failure to address these concerns by 6th March 2024 will leave us with no choice but to increase fares.