General Manager for VIP buses, Ernest Adakabre Frimpong, has blamed the recent fare increase on poor road networks.
Speaking with AngelOnline.com.gh, he said the trip that used to take about six hours from Accra to Kumasi now takes 10 hours, increasing their operating costs.
“We spend a lot more time on the highway. A vehicle that should reach Kumasi in six hours now takes 10 hours on the road; it uses more fuel and some sections of the road are in poor condition.
“We therefore do more maintenance than we anticipated; these factors contributed to the review that led to the fare increase,” he said on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
Mr. Frimpong further explained how fares are adjusted: “We don’t raise fares by an arbitrary percentage. We increase them according to the amount needed so the company does not incur losses. Take Wa, for example: the fare used to be GH₵320; now it is GH₵390, a difference of GH₵70.”
He emphasised that when fares increase, the company ensures passengers receive improved services to make their travel comfortable.
“There are two main stakeholders: passengers and shareholders. We don’t want to charge passengers something that will discourage them from travelling with us.
”If we charge that amount, we must provide a good bus so they feel comfortable, we make sure to provide improved services, a healthy bus, and to treat passengers with respect and humility,” he said.
Mr. Frimpong also noted that the long payback period for new buses and the high insurance and maintenance costs are due to poor roads.
“We must leverage private capital so private businesses can see that when I buy one bus, I’ll be able to pay it off.
”At present, it takes eight to nine years to pay off a bus, you pay insurance of over GH₵1.2 billion, and when you look at the road between Accra and Kumasi, where you use a brand-new bus, the conditions cause heavy wear,” he said.
He added that heavy wear on vehicles is costly, and Ghanaians should not think the price increase is unwarranted.
“One of our new buses has had its rear axle replaced seven times in two years. A new rear axle costs GH₵30,000. It is our duty to explain this to the public so they understand the reasons for the fare increases and do not assume we dislike them,” Mr. Frimpong explained.
He welcomed the government’s “Big Push” initiative, saying the plan should reduce travel times on the Accra–Kumasi highway.
“We have taken note of the Big Push; it is a good initiative, the President said the project will be divided into lots handled by eight contractors, which shows the plan is well thought out.
”We are happy that improvements to the Accra–Kumasi highway will reduce its length to 198 kilometres and decrease travel time,” he reiterated.
