As traffic snarls tighten their grip on Accra and the number of available commercial vehicles dwindles, frustration among commuters has reached a boiling point. Complaints about skyrocketing fares during peak hours are now commonplace, prompting the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to take decisive action against what it describes as exploitation by some commercial drivers.
On Sunday, January 18, the General Secretary of the GPRTU, Godfred Abulbire, spoke to Citi News, announcing a forthcoming crackdown on drivers who charge passengers above the approved rates. The Union’s enforcement exercise is set to begin on Monday, January 19, 2026, with GPRTU personnel stationed at known hotspots across the city to catch offenders in the act.
“What the drivers fear is banning them from loading,” Abulbire revealed, emphasizing that the Union’s internal task force would be out in full force to ensure compliance. “From what we have discussed, we have decided that on Monday, we will deploy most of our guys to all the vantage points where these exploitations take place to check if indeed these are our cars or not.”
To further tighten oversight, GPRTU plans to roll out a new branding system, marking all vehicles under its authority with the Union’s insignia. “We will begin to brand our cars with GPRTU on them. If we see that you then go out to exploit people, we will fish you out and then take you out of the union,” Abulbire warned, signaling that repeat offenders risk losing their membership entirely.
The Union’s intervention comes at a time when commuters are increasingly burdened by unpredictable fares, especially as congestion and vehicle shortages worsen during rush hours. GPRTU’s leadership hopes the crackdown will not only deter overcharging but also restore public trust in the city’s commercial transport system.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
