The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has announced that it will no longer tolerate commercial drivers charging passengers more than the approved transport fares. Ahead of the Christmas rush, the assembly warned that drivers and vehicle owners who flout fare regulations will face prosecution and public exposure. This move aims to curb a common source of frustration for commuters: unapproved fare hikes and "short-short" charging.
The warning was issued during one of KMA's quarterly engagements with leaders of 24 registered transport unions operating in the metropolis. The meeting discussed traffic congestion, terminal management, indiscriminate loading, destination indicators, and enforcement of road safety rules. The Head of KMA's Transport Department, Randy Wilson, emphasized that charging fares outside the officially approved rates remains a punishable offence.
Previously, any vehicle caught overcharging was simply impounded, and its driver made to pay a fine before being released. However, this arrangement has now ended, and the assembly will move to prosecute drivers found flouting fare regulations. Vehicle owners may also be pursued, and KMA intends to publish the names of drivers and owners who are prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to other operators.
The crackdown follows a resolution passed by KMA's General Assembly to get Kumasi's transport systems ready for the Christmas season. During this period, passenger volumes typically surge, and fare disputes become more common. Wilson directed unions and routes that had unilaterally raised fares ahead of the officially approved 8% increment to revert immediately to the correct rates.
The 8% adjustment must be calculated from the previously approved fare, not from any figure operators had already inflated on their own. KMA taskforces will be stationed at major terminals and loading points to monitor compliance, and any driver found breaching the rules will face vehicle seizure and prosecution.
For everyday Kumasi commuters, the crackdown is aimed at curbing a common source of frustration. With Christmas travel typically pushing demand for trotro and taxi services higher, KMA's tougher stance is intended to protect passengers from being overcharged during the busiest travel period of the year.
The engagement forms part of KMA's regular quarterly meetings with transport stakeholders in the metropolis. The sources do not specify a start date for prosecutions or a schedule for when the promised public list of offenders will first be published. KMA taskforces are to be deployed at terminals and loading points ahead of the festive season to check compliance with approved fares.
Key points
- The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly will prosecute and publicly name drivers overcharging passengers.
- The assembly aims to curb unapproved fare hikes and "short-short" charging.
- KMA taskforces will be deployed to monitor compliance with approved fares.
