The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), in collaboration with leadership from 24 Ashanti regional transport unions, has announced plans to prosecute commercial drivers who charge unapproved transport fares following the implementation of an eight per cent fare increase.
Speaking at a quarterly engagement meeting between the assembly management and the transport operators, the Head of the Transport Department at KMA, Randy Wilson, cautioned that drivers who arbitrarily adjust fares above the official rate will face legal prosecution, fines, and public exposure.
Unlike previous interventions where vehicles were merely impounded and fined, he stated that the KMA will now prosecute offending drivers and summon vehicle owners to serve as a deterrent.
“This time the assembly has decided that we’re going to prosecute the driver, and then we might even bring in the vehicle owner,” Mr Wilson said, warning, “Not only are we prosecuting, but we are also going to publish whoever flouts the rule… so that it serves as a deterrent to all transport operators.”
The crackdown comes amid reports of some commercial drivers unilaterally increasing baseline fares prior to the official announcement of the eight per cent adjustment.
Mr Wilson urged all union leaders and drivers to revert to pre-increase base rates when calculating the new fares, warning that the eight per cent hike cannot be added to previously inflated prices.
In response, leadership representing the 24 transport unions in the Ashanti Region accepted the eight per cent increment and committed to monitoring their members to prevent disputes between drivers and passengers.
Joseph Mensah, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Progressive Transport Owners’ Association (PROTOA) and leader of the 24 transport unions, told Kumasi FM’s Elisha Adarkwah that union leaders will handle fare calculations directly from their administrative offices and issue approved rate sheets to drivers.
“All drivers and the leadership of the transport operators have accepted the eight per cent and will go by it to help stop fights that ensue between us and our passengers,” Mr Mensah stated.
He urged passengers to report any union drivers charging excessive rates, adding that union executive committees will hand offenders directly over to law enforcement.
However, transport union leaders highlighted the challenge posed by “floating drivers”, unaffiliated commercial operators who do not belong to recognised unions and perform unscheduled trips across the city.
Mr Mensah called on government authorities to implement a standardised vehicle identification system using mandatory stickers to distinguish registered union vehicles from un-unionised operators, making it easier for police to identify and manage non-compliant drivers.
Meanwhile, Mr Wilson confirmed that the KMA has compiled standard fare rate charts for routes across the metropolis and will deploy enforcement monitoring teams to bus terminals and loading points to ensure full compliance.
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