National Security Raids Trotro Terminals Over Illegal Fares
National security operatives have launched a high-stakes enforcement exercise at major transport hubs in the capital to suppress the wave of arbitrary fare increases currently burdening commuters.
The intervention follows widespread reports of commercial drivers unilaterally raising prices to compensate for what they described as worsening traffic congestion and rising operational costs.
A specialised task force moved into the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange area, a critical transit node for thousands of workers, on Thursday, January 15, 2026. At least five national security operatives were spotted on the ground, actively monitoring transactions between passengers and transport conductors.
The team’s presence yielded immediate results, with operatives intercepting a vehicle charging passengers rates significantly higher than the officially gazetted fares. The task force swiftly intervened, ordering the driver to revert to the approved pricing structure before being allowed to proceed with the journey.
Commercial drivers argue that the current legal fare structure is no longer viable due to the sheer volume of time lost in gridlock. However, the government has condemned the unauthorised increases, with the Minister of State in charge of Government Communication, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, urging the public to resist paying any fare that has not been officially gazetted.
The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has signalled that its members are at a breaking point, with local branches expressing that the delay in reviewing the standard fare structure—amidst rising operational costs—is forcing drivers to take matters into their own hands to avoid total business collapse.
The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association has challenged the drivers’ claims of unbearable operational costs, stating that prices of most spare parts have fallen due to the appreciation of the cedi against the US dollar. The only outlier is the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicle, which has seen sharp increases in component costs.
In Ghana, charging unapproved transport fares is prohibited by various local government instruments. The Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA) has stated that comprehensive solutions to Accra’s transport crisis were fully developed nearly a decade ago but have been largely ignored by successive administrations.
Image Source: MYJOYONLINE
