The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) is set to hold a crucial meeting with Welfare Executives in the Greater Accra Region on Tuesday, January 20, as part of renewed efforts to regulate commercial transport operations and curb unauthorised fare increases.
The engagement follows recent assurances by the Ministry of Transport that transport unions have agreed to reintroduce vehicle identification tags. The initiative is aimed at sanitising the transport sector by clearly distinguishing approved vehicles from unregulated or so-called “floating” drivers who often charge unapproved fares.
Speaking on Channel One TV on Monday, January 19, the Deputy Industrial and Public Relations Officer of the GPRTU, Samuel Amoah, said the meeting would focus on finalising practical steps for implementing the identification system, beginning with Greater Accra, where commuter complaints over fare hikes remain most prevalent.
According to him, regional leaders will work closely with Welfare Executives to determine how the identification tags should be designed and displayed to make them easily recognisable by passengers.
“Since the current challenge is more pronounced in Greater Accra, the regional leadership is meeting all Welfare Executives tomorrow to plan the implementation,” Mr Amoah explained.
He added that although the specific format of the tags is yet to be agreed upon, visibility will be the key consideration.
“We are going to decide on how the identification will be made visible. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about colour, but passengers must be able to easily identify approved vehicles,” he noted.
In addition to the reintroduction of identification tags, the GPRTU is expected to establish a special task force to monitor compliance and ensure that drivers adhere strictly to approved fare structures across various routes.
The move is anticipated to bring relief to commuters who have raised concerns over arbitrary fare hikes and inconsistent pricing within the commercial transport sector.
