For months, commuters along the Madina-Dodowa corridor have endured a daily battle to secure affordable transportation, but the situation appears to be worsening as commercial drivers and their assistants continue to impose fares beyond approved levels, leaving passengers with little choice but to pay.
What started as a peak-hour challenge, where commuters struggled to find vehicles during the evening rush after work, has now extended into the middle of the day, with passengers reporting that as early as 12 noon, operators on the route demand between GH¢10 and GH¢15, depending on the discretion of the driver’s assistant, popularly known as the “mate”.
The practice has created what passengers describe as a “mood-based transport system”, where the amount paid is no longer determined by distance or approved fares, but by the decision of the mate collecting the money.
A passenger travelling from Madina to nearby locations, such as Ritz Junction, barely a few minutes away, can be charged the same GH¢10 fare demanded from someone travelling much further along the route.
Even commuters travelling to Adenta Barrier, a stretch where the approved fare is expected to be around GH¢4, are forced to pay the same GH¢10 demanded for longer journeys once they board a vehicle. The situation is similar for passengers heading to Ashiyie, where the approved fare is GH¢5, but commuters are also compelled to pay GH¢10 under the unofficial fare system.
Those travelling towards Dodowa face another layer of uncertainty. Some drivers advertise destinations such as Amanfrom, only for passengers to be informed upon arrival that they must pay additional charges if they want the vehicle to continue to Dodowa.
The result is that some passengers end up paying two or three times the amount they initially expected.
“It is becoming too much. You enter a car, and you don’t even know how much you will pay until the mate comes around,” one commuter told The High Street Journal.
Another passenger said, “Sometimes you budget your money before leaving home, but transport alone can destroy your plans for the day. You cannot fight because you need to get home”
The growing frustration comes as households continue to grapple with rising living costs. Although inflation has significantly eased from previous highs, recent increases have renewed concerns among consumers who fear further pressure on their disposable incomes.
For commuters who rely on public transport daily, the additional burden from unapproved fares is becoming another financial strain.
Government Response Yet To Match Commuter Frustration
The worsening situation has raised questions about the pace of government intervention since the transport difficulties emerged.
Although authorities have announced measures to improve public transportation, including plans to deploy additional buses, commuters on some of Accra’s busiest routes continue to experience severe shortages. The Ministry of Transport earlier announced plans for additional buses to support major corridors, including Accra-Madina-Adenta.
However, the arrival of new buses has not translated into immediate relief for many intra-city commuters. Metro Mass Transit Limited clarified that a batch of newly acquired buses was primarily intended for intercity services and not specifically purchased to address Accra’s intra-city transport challenges.
Residents along the Madina-Dodowa stretch say the gap between government promises and the reality they face daily remains wide.
They continue to queue for long periods, compete for limited vehicles and pay fares they believe are unfair, while waiting for a reliable alternative.
A Difficult Road Adds To Commuter Frustration
Commuters are also grappling with the prolonged construction works on the Adenta-Dodowa road, which they say have taken longer than expected and continue to affect their daily movement.
Residents along the stretch say the ongoing project has left them travelling through dusty conditions, with commuters regularly exposed to clouds of dust throughout their journeys. Some passengers noted that the state of the road has made it difficult to maintain certain standards of dressing, particularly wearing white clothing to their various places of work, as dust from the road quickly settles on their clothes.
Commuters said that despite the discomfort and potential health concerns associated with the dusty environment, they have no alternative but to continue using the route because it remains a critical connection for residents in the area. Some also expressed concerns that prolonged exposure to dust has contributed to respiratory discomfort and other health challenges.
“You cannot even confidently wear a white shirt when using this road because by the time you arrive, the dust has already covered it. But we have no choice; this is the road we have to use every day,” one commuter said.
Fear Of Further Increases
The situation could become even more difficult if fuel prices continue to rise and transport operators proceed with threats to increase fares.
Transport unions have previously warned that changes in fuel prices could trigger fare adjustments, raising concerns among commuters who are already paying unofficial increases on top of existing fares.
Passengers are now questioning how much more they will be forced to absorb if official fares are increased while operators continue imposing additional charges outside the approved fare structure.
The Madina-Dodowa transport crisis now represents a bigger challenge beyond daily inconvenience. It highlights the vulnerability of thousands of workers, students and traders who depend on public transport and have limited alternatives.
Months after commuters began raising concerns, many say they are still waiting for a lasting solution, one that provides affordable, predictable and reliable transportation rather than leaving passengers at the mercy of individual operators
