Commuters to pay existing approved fares under emergency bus support- Transport Minister

Transport Minister Joseph Nikpe Bukari has given the assurance that commuters will continue to pay the already approved transport fares on the newly introduced peak-hour buses.

According to him, passengers will not face any extra charges even though additional public and private operators are being brought in to ease Accra’s worsening evening traffic and transport challenges.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, the Minister emphasised that the initiative is not a premium service and therefore comes with no new pricing.

“They are paying the same approved fares they pay every day. If the fare from Accra to Adenta is 10 cedis, it remains 10 cedis. That is what applies,” he clarified.

Government this week rolled out an emergency bus support programme on four major Accra corridors after widespread complaints from workers who struggle to get transport home in the evenings. The programme, launched on Wednesday, December 10, is intended to ease long queues, prevent arbitrary fare increases, and improve the reliability of evening transport in the city.

Bukari added that more private transport companies may be brought in to expand the fleet if needed.
“I’ve asked the STC Managing Director to liaise with some private firms. If they have buses available, we can deploy them for this operation,” he said.

He explained that the main issue is the lack of enough vehicles during rush hour, not commuters’ unwillingness to pay.
The Minister reaffirmed that the buses will run on the usual urban routes and maintain the fare structure regulated by the Ministry.