The Minister for Transport will today hold a meeting with commercial transport operators to address the growing scarcity of commercial vehicles across the country, which has disrupted passenger movement and pushed transport fares upward.

The Greater Accra area has been hit scarcity of commercial transport, leading to some unscrupulous drivers overcharging passengers.  

It is as a result of these that the Transport Minister has scheduled the engagement to bring together leaders of major transport unions, including the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Progressive Transport Owners Association (PROTOA), and other stakeholders in the road transport sector.

The operators have also expressed concerns over the declining number of serviceable commercial vehicles, attributing the situation to high import duties on vehicles and spare parts, rising fuel costs, and difficulties in accessing credit to renew ageing fleets.

According to them, many operators have been forced to park their vehicles due to maintenance challenges, worsening the shortage on major routes.

The Transport Minister will be expected to acknowledge the challenges facing the sector and assure operators that the government is committed to finding sustainable solutions.

According to sources, key among the discussions will be the measures that the Transport Ministry, Ministries of Finance and Energy will explore to ease the cost burden on transport operators while improving vehicle availability.

The Minister will urge the unions to ensure that passengers are not unduly exploited, emphasising the need for fairness in fare adjustments during festive periods.