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Police to prosecute commercial drivers for overcharging passengers
Commercial vehicle operators who charge above approved fares will be prosecuted, the Police have warned.
The Police said drivers who deliberately charged passengers fares above the approved rates gazetted by the Ministry of Transport and other relevant stakeholders risked legal action, particularly where there was evidence of repeated violations.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Alexander Kweku Obeng, Director of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), said commercial drivers were required to adhere to the approved fares and should not exploit commuters for personal gain.
He said the prosecution formed part of measures to strengthen compliance with road traffic regulations and protect passengers from unfair practices in the commercial transport sector.
The warning comes amid recurring complaints from commuters about arbitrary fare increases, particularly during periods of fuel price adjustments, vehicle shortages, heavy traffic and increased demand for public transport.
In some instances, passengers have complained of being charged fares different from the officially approved rates or being asked to pay additional amounts after boarding vehicles.
ACP Obeng cautioned commercial drivers against such practices, saying approved fares were not optional and must be respected by operators.
He urged drivers to see compliance not merely as a legal obligation but as part of their responsibility to the travelling public.
“Don’t cheat commuters and passengers. Accept the right, agreed fare as gazetted,” he said.
He said enforcement of road traffic regulations would not only focus on conventional road offences but would also address conduct that affected the rights and safety of commuters.
The MTTD Director urged drivers to desist from exploiting passengers and operate strictly within the fares agreed upon by the relevant authorities.
“Don’t come on the road and do short-short, and then start putting unfair fares on potential passengers,” he cautioned.
ACP Obeng said drivers who repeatedly violated the approved fare regime could be taken to court.
He also urged passengers to familiarise themselves with the approved fares and report suspected cases of overcharging to the appropriate authorities.
He said public cooperation was essential to effective enforcement because passengers were often the first to identify cases where drivers charged fares outside the approved rates.
ACP Obeng said the broader objective was to promote fairness and discipline within the commercial transport sector while protecting commuters from practices that placed an unnecessary financial burden on them.
He said the Police would continue to collaborate with relevant institutions to enforce road traffic regulations and ensure that commercial transport operators operated within the law. –GNA
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The National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced the commencement of enforcement of the National Identity Register (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2523), warning institutions that fail to comply with the new requirements of possible fines of up to 2,000 penalty units.
The Authority says it will deploy a Biometric Verification Implementation Task Force to inspect institutions and ensure they comply with the regulations, following the expiration of a three-month grace period granted to businesses and public institutions.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, November 2, 2026, the NIA’s Corporate Affairs representative, William Ampomah Emmanuel Darlas, said the Authority had completed its public education and stakeholder engagement activities and was now moving into the enforcement and compliance monitoring phase.
He explained that the regulations require institutions that verify the identities of customers or applicants as part of their operations to use the NIA’s approved biometric verification platform instead of relying solely on visual inspection of the Ghana Card.
Under the new rules, institutions are prohibited from photocopying, scanning or keeping copies of the Ghana Card for identity verification purposes.
Mr Darlas stressed that simply collecting a customer’s Ghana Card, looking at the photograph and comparing it with the person presenting it would no longer be accepted as a valid method of identity verification.
He, however, clarified that the Ghana Card remains the country’s official national identity document and that citizens are not required to register for a new card or capture their biometrics again under the new regulations.
He said the new system is intended to reduce identity fraud, impersonation and other crimes by ensuring that the person presenting the Ghana Card is the actual owner.
According to him, the biometric verification process will rely on information already captured during Ghana Card registration, including fingerprints, iris details and facial features stored in the card’s chip.
Mr Darlas warned institutions against using third-party companies or individuals to access the NIA’s identity verification platform, insisting that the Authority does not work with intermediaries.
He said institutions seeking access to the National Identity Register must deal directly with the NIA and complete its official onboarding process.
The process requires institutions to prove that they are legally registered companies in Ghana, obtain certification from the Data Protection Commission and work with the NIA’s technical team to establish the necessary connection to its platform.
He further cautioned institutions already connected to the platform against subletting their access to other businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.
He disclosed that the Authority had received reports of some institutions providing their verification services to other businesses without the NIA’s approval and warned that those involved would face legal action.
Mr Darlas said organisations that fail to comply with L.I. 2523 could face fines ranging from 500 to 2,000 penalty units, depending on the nature of the offence.
He explained that the NIA does not have the authority to impose the fines directly but would take offenders to court for the appropriate punishment.
He indicated that Institutions found guilty could also face additional administrative measures, including being barred from accessing the NIA’s verification platform in the future.
The NIA representative further clarified that the new regulations do not prohibit all institutions from physically using the Ghana Card during transactions.
The Managing Director of the Ghana Publishing Company Limited, Nana Kwesi Boatey, has revealed how he transformed a major overstaffing challenge into a success story through the government’s 24-Hour Economy initiative.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, November 2, Mr. Boatey disclosed that when he assumed office in February 2025, and inherited a bloated workforce of 250 employees doing work that could be efficiently handled by 150 people, a situation that created serious liquidity challenges for the state-owned company.
Instead of resorting to downsizing, he adopted an innovative approach by instituting a 24-hour operational system.
Under the new system, staff were redistributed across three shifts: 7 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and 10 p.m. – 4:30 a.m.
This not only ensured optimal use of labour but also maximized machine utilization and improved overall output.
According to him, the single move redefined the productivity culture within the company, reinforcing discipline, accountability, and efficiency.
The Ghana Publishing Company’s turnaround is being cited as a practical example of how the 24-Hour Economy policy can drive growth without job losses.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
