Young Tailors Fight Inflated Taxi Fares in Kumasi

Every evening in Kumasi, Ghana, a team of young tailors puts down their needles and heads to the busiest taxi stands with a different mission: making sure exhausted workers can afford to get home.

The 'Sua Nyansa' Movement started when individual complaints about overpriced fares went nowhere. Yaw Boakye, a tailor and founding member, knew something had to change when he watched drivers repeatedly exploit market women desperate for rides.

Between 6:30pm and 9pm, when taxis become scarce and drivers gain the upper hand, the group fans out across major transport hubs. They watch fare negotiations and step in when drivers demand more than approved rates. Some members have been attacked for defending strangers, but they keep showing up.

"Sua nyansa" means "learn sense" in the local Akan language. It's what members say to drivers charging triple the normal price because they can, because commuters have no other choice, because the evening scarcity creates a captive market.

Balak, a co-founder, explains that station vehicles stop running after 6pm, leaving workers at the mercy of independent drivers operating the "short-short" system. These drivers pick their routes and set their own prices, often targeting older women carrying goods from Kejetia Market.

Agyekum Kuffuor, who sells beads and traditional ornaments, joined after watching drivers overcharge his mother and her fellow traders. His mother initially worried about his safety but relaxed after seeing support from local police and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.

The Ripple Effect

The movement has grown beyond fare monitoring. They recently organized a Sanitation Day and Health Walk that started at Manhyia Palace, drawing hundreds of residents and official backing from city authorities.

Bright, the group's spokesman, stresses they're not anti-driver. "We are not against drivers earning a living," he says. "Our concern is the intimidation through inflated transport fares." He's calling on the government to introduce evening bus services to break the monopoly that enables price gouging.

The group's presence has already changed evening routines at major stops. Drivers know someone's watching, commuters know someone has their back, and market women can budget for getting home without surprise costs.

Not every driver cooperates when the movement demands normal fares, but the young volunteers say they'll continue standing with the workers who keep Kumasi running.