Wrong Target, Wrong Time: GPRTU Misses Fare Abuse Problem

 

By William Sarpong (Managing Editor, Environmental Guide / The Exclusive Newspapers & Online Portals) 

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) appears to be adopting a misplaced and counterproductive strategy in its attempt to address the persistent problem of trotro drivers charging passengers double fares.

Across Accra and other urban centres, unscrupulous trotro drivers have perfected a routine of exploiting commuters at their most vulnerable hours. The practice begins early in the morning, when workers are rushing to their jobs, and resurfaces in the evening when tired passengers are desperate to return home. At these peak periods, fares are arbitrarily doubled with little regard for officially approved transport charges.

These illegal practices are often enabled by so-called loading boys, who loudly announce inflated fares the moment they sense that passengers are stranded or competing for scarce vehicles. The result is an organised form of exploitation that thrives on urgency and inconvenience.

Rather than concentrating its enforcement efforts on these critical morning and evening periods when the abuse actually occurs, the GPRTU has chosen an approach that punishes the wrong people at the wrong time. In the daytime, when fare exploitation is minimal, passengers who have visited markets and commercial centres are now being prevented from boarding vehicles close to them. Instead, they are compelled to walk long distances with heavy loads on their heads to designated lorry stations.

This policy does not solve the problem of double charging; it merely transfers additional hardship onto already burdened commuters, particularly market women, traders, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. The exploitation happens at peak hours, not during the day, and therefore daytime restrictions only deepen commuter frustration without addressing the real issue.

Nowhere is this challenge more visible than in commercial hubs such as Makola and other business centres, where passengers already struggle with congestion, limited transport options, and inadequate infrastructure. Forcing commuters to trek longer distances in such environments is neither humane nor practical.

If the GPRTU is genuinely committed to protecting passengers, the focus should shift to targeted enforcement, not blanket inconvenience. Monitoring teams should be deployed early in the morning and late in the evening to identify and sanction drivers who flout approved fares. Loading boys who openly encourage fare abuse must also be held accountable.

Beyond enforcement, the long-term solution lies in expanding transport capacity and infrastructure. There is an urgent need for additional and well-planned lorry stations located closer to major commercial centres, as well as an increase in the number of buses and vehicles to reduce artificial scarcity during peak hours.

Transport unions, city authorities, and the Ministry of Transport must work together to prioritise commuter welfare over convenience for operators. Public transport exists to serve the people—not to exploit their desperation.

Until the GPRTU aligns its strategies with the realities commuters face daily, the problem of fare exploitation will persist, and public trust in transport unions will continue to erode.