Government to engage transport operators over high fares amid falling fuel prices

The Ministry of Transport is set to hold talks with commercial transport operators following concerns that some players in the sector may be deliberately creating artificial scarcity to justify high transport fares.

The Minister of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, disclosed this at the government’s weekly Accountability Series media briefing in Accra on Wednesday, 14 January 2026.

Responding to claims that recent macroeconomic improvements have not translated into relief for ordinary Ghanaians, Mr Kwakye Ofosu rejected the assertion, arguing that government policies were already easing cost pressures on households and businesses.

He cited the sustained reduction in fuel prices as what he described as “clear and verifiable evidence” that living costs were beginning to decline.

“It is incorrect to suggest that the positive macroeconomic indicators are not translating into tangible benefits for the people,” he said. “The reduction in prices of fuel at the pumps is a direct counter-example, putting money back into the pockets of households and businesses.”

Turning specifically to the transport sector, the minister said government had received complaints that some operators were engaging in rent-seeking behaviour by deliberately limiting the availability of vehicles in order to keep fares high.

According to him, this was happening despite measures introduced by the government to reduce operating costs for transport operators, including recent fuel price reductions and the removal of import duties on selected spare parts.

“We have had some reductions in the prices of fuel, we have removed import duties on the import of spare parts, all in a bid to cushion the transport sector and by extension the riding public,” Mr Kwakye Ofosu said.

“However, we are getting reports and complaints that some operators are engaging in rent-seeking by not making vehicles available so that they can create artificial scarcity and keep fares up,” he added.

He said the planned engagement with commercial transport unions and operators would focus on ensuring that the benefits of government relief measures were reflected in transport fares paid by commuters.

The meeting, he explained, would provide a platform for dialogue aimed at aligning fare adjustments with prevailing economic conditions and preventing practices that undermine public interest.

As this year’s first Accountability Series briefing, Mr Kwakye Ofosu also outlined other government interventions he said were contributing to economic recovery, including intensified efforts to curb illegal mining and major infrastructure investments under the government’s Big Push programme.

He maintained that, taken together, these measures signalled a gradual but steady improvement in economic conditions, insisting that the impact would increasingly be felt at the household level.