The Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC) has suspended a proposed 20% upward adjustment in public transport fares following a crucial meeting with the Ministry of Transport on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.

The decision to suspend the increase came after an emergency meeting between transport operators and the Ministry of Transport, citing a lack of broader consultation prior to the announcement of the proposed fare hike.

A statement issued by the council, as seen by GhanaWeb Business, stated that the council had agreed to maintain current transport fares.

Despite the suspension, transport operators say they have not experienced a corresponding reduction in the cost of spare parts and other goods and services following an earlier 15% fare reduction implemented on May 21, 2025.

They further argued that a newly introduced GH¢1.00 per litre fuel levy has pushed fuel prices up by approximately 8%, directly impacting operational costs for drivers and transport companies.

The proposed 20% increase would have applied to all categories of public transport, including shared taxis, intra-city “trotro” services, long-distance intercity transport, and haulage.

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Additionally, all commercial transport operators and companies would have been required to comply with the new fares and visibly post them at their loading terminals.

The council however appealed to commuters, transport operators, and the general public to cooperate for the smooth implementation of the revised fares.

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana (COPEC) has questioned the metrics that informed such a drastic upward review of public transport fares.

The Executive Director of COPEC, Duncan Amoah, rejected the argument by transport operators that the recent introduction of the GH¢1 levy on a litre of petroleum products had significantly increased fuel prices.

“The overall effect of the new One Ghana levy is still not sufficient to wipe out the sustained reductions recorded at the pumps over the past couple of months,” he said.

SP/MA

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