Over the past few days, the media has been flooded with reports and videos showing long queues at bus terminals during peak hours, particularly in the Greater Accra Region. Commuters have reported a new trend: drivers travelling short distances and then reloading their vehicles to the next stop, charging passengers fresh fares.
Other drivers have also hiked fares—sometimes doubling the cost for specific distances—thereby inconveniencing commuters who have already budgeted their expenses.
The question is, why have drivers chosen to exploit passengers despite the significant drop in fuel prices? Is it a matter of greed, or does it reflect the pressures and challenges within the transport sector that continue to affect commuters?
Government’s Christmas Interventions
During the 2025 festive season, government deployed buses to support public transport. The Ministry of Transport assigned at least eight buses to four major routes in Accra during peak hours, starting from December 10 and continuing through the holiday period.
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), in partnership with the State Transport Company (STC), also deployed five dedicated shuttle buses. The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) dispatched 18 buses to key locations within the Central Business District to transport passengers to and from various parts of the city during peak hours.
Drivers’ Excuses
From what commuters observed, some drivers were unhappy with the government-backed initiatives, arguing that passengers opted for the subsidised services. With the interventions concluded, it appears some drivers saw this as an opportunity to “make up for lost earnings.”
Some drivers have also cited poor road conditions on certain routes, particularly in the evenings, as justification for making short trips, leaving commuters to bear the inconvenience. Yet, these same drivers cover the full route during the day.
The explanations have since expanded. Some commercial drivers now blame high daily sales targets imposed by vehicle owners for limiting the distances they cover during peak periods, arguing that shorter trips help them meet these targets.
Others point to high operational costs — including vehicle maintenance, spare parts, tyres, lubricants, and financing — which they say limit the scope for fare reductions.
Yet questions remain: if fuel prices have fallen, why do some drivers still embark on short trips while charging double fares on longer routes? And why resist calls for fair pricing?
What about Ayalolo and Metro Mass Transit?
Ghana’s Ayalolo bus service, the Bus Rapid Transit system managed by the Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive (GAPTE), began operations in 2016 but quickly faced challenges. Many of the 245 imported buses were underutilised or grounded.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of operational buses fell from 75 to just 10 as revenues collapsed. By late 2024, GAPTE reported that about 175 buses — roughly 90% of the fleet — were operational, though the city’s size often made the number appear insufficient. By early 2026, only about 80 buses were actively running in Accra due to redeployments and mechanical challenges.
The government, however, plans to expand the Ayalolo fleet, pending a €1 million grant from the Spanish Embassy. The Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL) faces a similar challenge. When it was first established in the early 2000s, the company operated a large fleet to serve both intracity and intercity routes, with official records indicating over 1,000 buses on the road across more than 260 districts nationwide at its peak. Over the years, however, the fleet declined sharply due to ageing vehicles, poor maintenance, and operational challenges. In 2021, management requested about 900 new buses to replace the ageing stock. By 2025, the limited fleet forced route reductions and redeployment to high demand corridors, leaving only around 115 buses in active service nationwide.
Government Steps In
The artificial shortage of vehicles and growing commuter frustration escalated to the point where Vice President, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang convened a meeting with the Ministry of Transport and leaders of the various transport unions. At the meeting, drivers were urged to desist from exploiting passengers through arbitrary fare hikes and short-distance loading, while government assured that it was working on longer-term solutions to ease pressure on public transport.
A Question of Fairness
The government has pledged to make public transport services more available, reliable, and subsidised. Yet some private drivers continue to hike fares and exploit commuters. If Ayalolo and Metro Mass Transit buses were at least 80% operational, many passengers would likely opt for subsidised services rather than overcharged private rides.
Fairness, in this context, requires drivers to consider the welfare of commuters as much as their own earnings. While they often criticise politicians as greedy or corrupt, perhaps it is time to also reflect on their own role in the daily struggles of the public.
The writer is a journalist with Citi FM/Channel One TV
Email: berviedon@gmail.com
