Users of ride-hailing apps should not anticipate a decrease in fares, even with the recent appreciation of the cedi and declining fuel prices. The Ghana Online Drivers Union stated that it was not consulted regarding the Ghana Private Road Transport Union’s (GPRTU) decision to implement a 15% fare reduction across public transport services. In an interview with Citi Business News, Francis Tengey, the President of the Ghana Online Drivers Union, emphasised that this fare cut cannot be applied to ride-hailing services since they were excluded from the decision-making process.
“What the GPRTU did does not include us, because we have not been consulted. We are not part of them. We are the users of Uber, Bolt, and Yango. We have a union, but our union is not recognised by the GPRTU or the Trade Union. “Although we have applied since 2021 to be affiliated with TUC, we have not yet gotten that accreditation. So GPRTU giving this directive does not include us. Uber does not know GPRTU, Bolt and Yango do not know GPRTU.
“As representatives of the drivers, we were not included in the meeting held by the GPRTU and the Ministry of Transport. Therefore, our members cannot take advantage of the 15% reduction in prices,” he explained. Tengey further argued that formal recognition of the union would allow it to engage directly with ride-hailing platforms, ensuring that passengers benefit from favourable economic trends. He also urged the government to intervene and regulate the sector.
“We are pleading with the government, through the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Youth and Employment—these two sectors should come together to regulate the sector and recognise the union. When they recognise the union, a letter like this will be coming from us. Meanwhile, consumer advocacy group CUTS International is calling for firm action from the government to ensure Ghanaians benefit from recent fuel price reductions.
The group is urging authorities to empower local assemblies to deregister and sanction commercial drivers who refuse to implement the 15% fare cut announced by the GPRTU, arguing that transport operators must not be allowed to short-change commuters amid improving economic conditions.
By: Daniel Sackitey
