GPRTU to crack down on drivers overcharging commuters in Accra

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has announced plans to clamp down on commercial drivers who exploit passengers by charging excessive fares during peak hours, as worsening congestion and a shortage of vehicles continue to affect commuters in Accra.

The enforcement exercise is set to begin on Monday, January 19, 2026, with Union personnel deployed to identified hotspots where passengers have reportedly been overcharged.

Speaking to Citi News on Sunday, January 18, GPRTU General Secretary Godfred Abulbire warned that drivers found guilty of overcharging will face strict sanctions, including being banned from loading and potential termination of their union membership.

“What the drivers fear is banning them from loading. We have our own task force to ensure that they can’t operate anywhere. From what we have discussed, on Monday, we will deploy our personnel to all the vantage points where these exploitations take place to check if these are indeed our vehicles,” he said.

Mr Abulbire also revealed that the Union plans to introduce a vehicle branding system to make it easier to identify registered GPRTU cars. “We will begin to brand our vehicles with GPRTU markings. If we catch anyone exploiting passengers, we will identify them and remove them from the union,” he added.

The Union’s move comes in response to increasing public complaints about sharp fare hikes, particularly during peak traffic hours, as congestion and the limited availability of commercial vehicles continue to challenge commuters in the capital.