The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has warned that it will persist in arresting commercial bus drivers who charge passengers fares above the approved rates, following the arrest of over 100 drivers in Accra over the past two weeks.
Drumond Ekow Gaisie, National Guard Commander of the GPRTU, told reporters that the drivers and conductors were turned over to the Ghana Police Service’s Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), warned, and then freed.
“We have 106 drivers who have been arrested and handed over to the police,” he confirmed. Mr Gaisie explained that many of the offences involve drivers taking passengers on “short shots,” picking up and dropping off the same passengers’ multiple times to charge excess fares. “For instance, you’re going to Madina. They pick you up from Accra to 37, then disembark. The same car will pick the same people from the location to Legon, then alight them again, and then pick them from there to Madina. Straight to Madina, we have three cars at the moment. That is the offence they have been committing,” he said.
He also noted that drivers on routes such as Accra to Kasoa and Kaneshie to Kasoa have been charging significantly more than the approved fares. “Instead of charging 10 cedis from here to Accra, they take 50 cedis,” he added, citing specific examples of overcharging.
In the capital, where uncontrolled fees have long irritated passengers, the GPRTU operation is a part of continuous efforts to ensure fare compliance. The union has repeatedly stressed that drivers must adhere to the official fare schedule set by transport authorities to ensure fairness and transparency.
Mr Gaisie confirmed that the union will continue monitoring commercial drivers and warned that non-compliant operators will face repeated arrests until full compliance is achieved.
