Public transport passengers across Ghana will pay higher fares from Saturday, September 26, 2026, after the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC) announced an eight per cent upward adjustment in approved fares.

The new fares will affect shared taxis, intra-city trotros and inter-city long-distance services, while haulage services are also covered by the adjustment.

The fare increase follows consultations between the Ministry of Transport and commercial road transport operators from September 8 to 22, 2026, under the Administrative Instrument on Public Transport Fares.

According to the transport operators, the adjustment takes into account changes in the ex-pump prices of petroleum products, spare parts, vehicle maintenance and other operational costs, while also considering the financial pressures on drivers and commuters.

The unions said the eight per cent increase was calculated on the approved fares that took effect on May 24, 2025.

Shared taxi fares

Passengers using shared taxis will see increases across all the distance categories listed in the new schedule.

A journey of up to one kilometre will increase from GH¢1.70 to GH¢1.90, while a journey of up to four kilometres will rise from GH¢2.60 to GH¢2.90.

For a distance of up to eight kilometres, passengers will now pay GH¢4.70, up from GH¢4.30.

The fare for journeys of up to 12 kilometres will rise from GH¢5.10 to GH¢5.60, while the charge for up to 16 kilometres increases from GH¢7.70 to GH¢8.40.

Passengers travelling up to 20 kilometres will pay GH¢9.20, compared with the current GH¢8.50.

For longer journeys, the new fares are:

The maximum shared taxi fare listed in the schedule is therefore GH¢20.20, up from GH¢18.70.

Trotro passengers to pay up to GH¢36.80

The revised intra-city, or trotro, fares range from GH¢5.50 to GH¢36.80.

Passengers who currently pay GH¢5 will pay GH¢5.50, while those paying GH¢6 will pay GH¢6.50.

The GH¢10 fare will become GH¢11, while passengers currently paying GH¢15 will pay GH¢16.20.

A passenger whose current fare is GH¢20 will pay GH¢21.60, while a GH¢25 fare will rise to GH¢27.

For the higher fare categories, passengers currently paying GH¢30 will pay GH¢32.40, while the highest listed fare of GH¢34 will increase to GH¢36.80.

The full trotro schedule is:

Long-distance travellers to pay up to GH¢324

The new fare schedule also brings increases for passengers travelling between cities and towns on long-distance commercial transport services.

The lowest listed inter-city fare, GH¢25, will increase to GH¢27.

A fare of GH¢30 will rise to GH¢33, while passengers currently paying GH¢50 will pay GH¢54.

Those paying GH¢100 will now pay GH¢108, while the GH¢150 fare increases to GH¢162.

Passengers currently paying GH¢200 will pay GH¢216, while a fare of GH¢250 will increase to GH¢270.

At the top end of the schedule, a fare of GH¢300 will rise to GH¢324, representing an increase of GH¢24.

Some of the key long-distance fares are:

The detailed schedule contains 56 long-distance fare levels, ending at GH¢300 to GH¢324.

Why are fares going up?

The GPRTU and GRTCC said the adjustment was reached after considering several changes affecting the cost of operating commercial vehicles.

These include increases or changes in the ex-pump prices of petroleum products, spare parts, general vehicle maintenance and other operational inputs.

The operators said these costs had to be weighed against the difficulties faced by drivers, commuters and other members of the travelling public.

The unions also expressed appreciation to the Minister for Transport and other stakeholders for what they described as constructive negotiations.

They specifically acknowledged Government's intervention on the price of diesel, saying it had “materially moderated” the extent of the fare increase.

New fares take effect Saturday

The revised fares become effective on Saturday, September 26, 2026.

The unions have directed all commercial transport operators to comply strictly with the approved rates and to display the revised fare schedule conspicuously at loading terminals and stations.

Passengers will therefore be able to compare the fare being charged with the approved rate.

The operators have also warned that drivers or transport operators who charge more than the approved fares will face appropriate sanctions from the unions.

The communiqué was signed by Godfred Abulbire, General Secretary of the GPRTU of TUC, Ghana, and Emmanuel Ohene Yeboah, General Secretary of the GRTCC, on behalf of road transport operators.

Bottom line for passengers

From September 26, 2026, commuters should expect to pay:

• Shared taxi: from GH¢1.90 to GH¢20.20, depending on distance.
• Trotro: from GH¢5.50 to GH¢36.80, depending on the approved fare.
• Inter-city: from GH¢27 to GH¢324, depending on the applicable fare level.
• Haulage: included in the eight per cent adjustment, although no specific haulage rates are provided in the schedule supplied with the communiqué.

The unions said the revised schedule is the official reference for operators and passengers and urged commuters to report instances of charging above the approved rates.