The Executive Secretary of Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Duncan Amoah, has justified the 20 per cent increase in public transport fares announced by transport unions, arguing that the adjustment is warranted in light of the mounting costs faced by operators.

His remarks come after the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Commercial Transport Operators of Ghana disclosed that new transport fares would take effect across the country from 2 June 2026, raising fares by 20 per cent.

According to him, “Let me start off by saying that the transport operators have been quite magnanimous with all of us. At this time, when already fuel prices are set to go up again on Monday, one could imagine that their operations could become unsustainable if they continue to charge the very old fares,” he said on Citi News Digest.

“Granted that it is those who decided to go down on fares when fuel was 15. Now that it’s gone back up to 15 again, it could only be fair that we grant them that space to also adjust back to the old levels they were,” he added.

Mr Amoah also pointed out that a number of transport providers, particularly operators of intercity and long-distance services, had already revised their fares upwards. He said it would therefore be unrealistic to expect members of the GPRTU to continue charging previous rates despite the prevailing economic conditions.

“It would become quite a disservice to the GPRTU and other transport operators if we insist at this point that they should stick with the old fares. So I find that the adjustment is reasonable, except that we would need to again ask them the basis for the 20%.”

Although he backed the fare adjustment, Mr Amoah indicated that a 15 per cent increase would, in his view, have been more appropriate.

Nevertheless, he recognised that transport operators were likely taking into account a range of additional operational expenses, including higher insurance premiums and rising spare parts costs.