West Africa Director of CUTS International, Appiah Adomako Kusi, has defended the planned 20 per cent increase in public transport fares, insisting that government should allow transport operators to adjust prices in line with rising operational costs.
His comments come ahead of a scheduled meeting between the Transport Ministry and transport unions on Monday, June 1, following the announcement of a nationwide fare adjustment by commercial transport operators.
Speaking on Channel One News on Saturday, May 30, Mr Kusi argued that it would be unreasonable for authorities to block the increment at a time when fuel prices and other key inputs in the transport sector continue to rise.
He explained that transport operators are facing sustained pressure from frequent fuel price adjustments, making it increasingly difficult to maintain services under existing fare structures.
According to him, preventing the fare review could threaten the sustainability of private transport businesses, which operate without state subsidies or direct financial support.
Mr Kusi drew a distinction between private transport operators and state-supported services, noting that private operators must be allowed the flexibility to respond to market conditions in order to remain viable.
He further questioned what he described as inconsistencies in price regulation across the economy, arguing that while fuel prices are frequently adjusted upward, transport fares are often expected to remain unchanged.
“I think it will be unfair to ask the transport operators to halt their price increase when we allow NPA and fuel importers to increase when we have been adjusting prices upward every two weeks. It will be very unfair to those who have invested in that particular business,” he stated.
Mr Kusi also appealed to commuters to understand the economic pressures driving the decision, describing the fare increment as a necessary adjustment rather than an arbitrary hike.
The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Commercial Transport Operators of Ghana have announced that the 20 per cent fare increase will take effect on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, citing rising fuel costs and increasing spare parts prices as key reasons for the adjustment.
