Hot SourceThe Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has strongly opposed the proposed 20 percent increase in public transport fares scheduled to take effect on Friday, August 8, describing the move as premature, unjustified, and a direct blow to already struggling Ghanaians.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, COPEC said checks with key transport stakeholders, including the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and other driver unions, revealed no consensus or final decision had been taken on such an increment.
“We find it difficult to comprehend what matrices inform any such drastic upward review of public transport fares as that affects largely the poor and already suffering masses,” COPEC Executive Secretary Duncan Amoah stated.
The fare increase, announced earlier by the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC), was attributed to rising operational costs, including the new GHC1.00 fuel levy introduced by government. However, COPEC argues that fuel prices at the pumps have dropped significantly in recent months and are nowhere near the highs recorded in January 2025 when fares were last reviewed upward.
“Fuel which used to sell for around GHC15 per litre now goes for between GHC11 and GHC12 per litre,” COPEC stated, adding that a previous 15% reduction in transport fares followed this price decline, albeit inconsistently across unions.
The group further warned that using the new GHC1.00 levy as justification for fare hikes ignores the broader picture. “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,” the statement said.
COPEC also addressed concerns among driver unions over plans to reintroduce road tolls, warning that such moves must be widely consulted before implementation. “This attempt to reintroduce the toll system will have some monetary impact on daily operations,” the group said.
According to the Chamber, transport fare increases should only be based on clear, fair economic indicators—not speculative or incomplete policy moves. It reiterated that intentions yet to be enforced, such as the levy or tolls, should not be used as grounds for immediate fare increases, especially in the absence of rising spare parts or fuel costs.
COPEC ended its statement by praising the position of Ghana’s largest transport union, which it said has already rejected any such fare hikes, affirming that current fuel and spare parts prices do not justify an increment.
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