Commercial transport operators across Ghana officially announced their intention to suspend services in a joint press statement issued on Monday, November 2, 2026.
The coalition behind this decisive action comprises major transport bodies, including the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of TUC, the Commercial Transport Operators of Ghana, the True Drivers Union, the Ghana Committed Drivers Association, and the Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana.
Key union leaders, including Samuel Amoah, National Deputy Public Relations Officer of the GPRTU of TUC, jointly endorsed the declaration.
At the heart of the dispute is what transport operators describe as an unfair enforcement regime under the TRAFFITECH-GH initiative, implemented by the government and the Ghana Police Service.
Drivers argue that while automated camera systems quickly issue fines for traffic infractions, authorities have systematically neglected fundamental roadside regulation.
Specifically, the unions point to the failure of state authorities to enforce Regulation 142 of Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2519), which strictly prohibits trading and hawking at designated bus stops and pedestrian walkways.
Because street vendors and traders have taken over critical bus loading zones across major urban centers, commercial drivers find themselves in an impossible dilemma: either stop in unauthorized areas to pick up and set down passengers, or face automatic electronic penalties from TRAFFITECH-GH monitoring cameras.
Voicing the frustration of thousands of drivers, the transport unions highlighted this contradiction clearly in their joint statement, emphasizing,
We cannot operate in bus stops occupied by traders and still be fined by cameras.
The operators stressed that implementing high-tech traffic enforcement without clearing hawkers from bus stops places an unjust financial burden on drivers who are simply trying to carry out their daily work.
Describing the situation as a consequence of total neglect by the government and the police to enforce L.I. 2519 Regulation 142, the leadership directed all commercial drivers to park their vehicles starting Wednesday, November 4, 2026, until their concerns are adequately addressed.
Reiterating the total nature of the shutdown, the unions issued a clear directive across all transport terminals:
NO COMMERCIAL VEHICLE WILL BE MOVING ON WEDNESDAY, 4TH NOVEMBER, 2026.
Recognizing the severe inconvenience this industrial action will inflict on workers, students, and businesses, the driver unions extended an apology to the commuting public, adding,
We apologise for the inconvenience, but we are left with no option.
This standoff underscores the urgent necessity for transport ministry officials and police leadership to engage driver unions in constructive dialogue before public mobility grounds to a halt.
The announced nationwide commercial drivers' strike underscores a critical tension between rapid technological modernization and practical road governance in Ghana.
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While automated systems like TRAFFITECH-GH aim to improve road safety, enforcing them without resolving underlying issues like illegal trading at bus stops threatens the livelihoods of drivers and the daily movement of citizens.
To minimize public hardship, immediate governmental intervention is required to enforce L.I. 2519 and establish realistic operational guidelines for commercial transport.
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