Greed on wheels must stop

The arrest last Wednesday of commercial drivers and conductors for charging unauthorised transport fares (See page 8) should worry every Ghanaian.

Not because arrests were made, but because this practice has become so normalised that it now requires task forces, undercover operations and police custody to enforce what should be basic honesty.

That a task force of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), working with the police, had to board vehicles in plain clothes to catch offenders tells a deeper and more troubling story that greed has permeated our social fabric to the extent that many people now believe cheating is an acceptable way of life.

Let us call the practice by its rightful name. Charging unapproved fares is stealing. It is corruption in its raw, everyday form.

It is no different from dipping one’s hand into the pocket of a helpless commuter who has no alternative but to get to work, school or hospital.

This behaviour did not start today.

It began years ago, gradually, quietly, and has since been perfected into an organised scheme where drivers charge approved fares at terminals when union officials are present, only to inflate prices mid-journey when passengers are trapped and powerless.

It is shameful if they see this as enterprise. It is not; it is extortion.

The effects are far-reaching.

Overcharging worsens the cost-of-living crisis, fuels public anger, undermines trust in transport unions and weakens discipline across the system.

For low-income earners who rely on public transport daily, these unlawful fares mean less money for food, rent, health care and school fees.

In economic terms, it is a daily transfer of hardship from the powerful to the vulnerable.

Yet, we must also acknowledge an uncomfortable truth that scarcity breeds exploitation.

The inadequacy of vehicles on our roads—especially during rush hours—creates fertile ground for fare abuse.

The Daily Graphic therefore welcomes the government’s promise to increase the number of public buses, but it must be understood for what it is.

It is a short-term relief, not a permanent cure.

The long-term solution lies in fixing the structural weaknesses of our public transport system, particularly the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, Aayalolo.

As officials of the service have rightly pointed out, Aayalolo has reached its operational peak—not because of poor management, but because congestion has neutralised its core advantage (See front page).

The original BRT model was designed around dedicated bus lanes, scheduled services and speed.

That model has largely collapsed, if it took off at all.

Today, buses meant to move faster than general traffic are stuck in the same gridlock, burning fuel at full cost, incurring losses and failing to deliver the “rapid” in rapid transit.

Adding more buses under these conditions does not make economic sense.

As the Monitoring and Enforcement Manager of Aayalolo noted, the more the buses that sit in traffic, the more losses the system incurs.

Without dedicated lanes, enforcement and strong inter-agency coordination, expansion will only deepen inefficiencies.

The clear lesson is that you cannot solve transport chaos with numbers alone

 You need discipline, planning and enforcement.
Dedicated bus lanes must be restored and fiercely protected. When such lanes existed, commuters saved up to 30 minutes per trip.

Today, that benefit has vanished.

We must see the strengthening of institutions such as the Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive (GAPTE) to coordinate road design, traffic management and transport planning as urgent.

But even as infrastructure solutions are pursued, moral responsibility cannot be outsourced to the government alone.

Drivers and conductors must remember that public service comes with public trust. Exploiting scarcity to overcharge passengers is a moral failure.

To end this practice once and for all, sanctions must be severe, consistent and public.

Withdrawal of routes, suspension of licences, prosecution and publication of offenders’ names should be adopted.

Union self-discipline must be firm, and passengers must also be empowered with clear, visible fare charts and easy reporting mechanisms.

Ultimately, no society thrives when dishonesty becomes routine.

If greed continues to ride unchecked on our buses, it will eventually derail not just public transport, but social cohesion itself.

This is a line Ghana must draw and enforce.