The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has declared a 15% reduction in transport fares, set to take effect on Saturday, May 25, 2025.
The decision comes as a response to recent macroeconomic trends, particularly the steady appreciation of the Ghanaian cedi against major currencies like the US dollar. This positive shift has significantly lowered fuel prices nationwide, prompting the Union to review and slash transport costs.
The announcement was confirmed by Alhaji Abbas Ibrahim Moro, a key figure within the GPRTU, after a high-level meeting between the Union’s National Executive and Ghana’s Minister of Transport on Monday, May 19.
According to Alhaji Moro, although the drop in fuel prices warranted the reduction, other components of operational costs such as lubricants, spare parts, and documentation fees, have not yet seen similar price adjustments.
“We have finally agreed to reduce lorry fares by 15%, but it will take effect from Saturday,” Alhaji Moro stated. “Although spare parts dealers have promised to lower prices soon, it hasn’t happened yet. Lubricant prices also remain unchanged. Still, we decided to peg the fare cut at 15%.”
The GPRTU typically calculates fare reductions by dividing the percentage decrease in fuel prices by three. With fuel dropping around 18%, the expected fare cut would usually be around 6%. However, the Union exceeded this benchmark, opting for a more generous 15% reduction.
“This is our own contribution towards the economic recovery of Ghana,” he said, emphasizing their proactive effort to support the public despite high operational expenses. “We didn’t wait for every aspect of our cost build-up to go down before acting.”
Alhaji Moro also made it clear that the Union expects all transport operators under GPRTU to comply with the new directive. Any member who defies the fare reduction policy “will have themselves to blame,” he cautioned.
While spare parts and documentation fees, including road permits, DVLA charges, and taxes are still at their current rates, the fare reduction is a goodwill measure aimed at easing the financial burden on Ghanaians.