Two transport experts have called for a comprehensive overhaul of Ghana’s public transport system, warning that its outdated and largely informal structure is undermining productivity, increasing business costs and costing the economy more than GH¢4.5 billion annually.
The academics said persistent long queues, overcrowded lorry terminals and unreliable transport services highlighted the urgent need for reforms to create a modern, efficient and reliable public transport system capable of supporting Ghana’s growing population and economy.
The experts said the current transport model placed significant financial and physical burdens on commuters while limiting economic efficiency.
They advocated an integrated public transport system backed by stronger regulation, digital technology and sustained investment in transport infrastructure.
Associate Professor of Transport Geography at the University of Ghana, Prof. Ernest Agyemang, described the country’s transport system as inefficient and in need of structural reforms.
He cited the common practice where passengers travelling from Madina to the University of Ghana paid the full fare to Circle despite alighting at Legon, after which the same seat was resold to another passenger travelling to Accra.
According to him, such practices reflected deeper structural weaknesses within a transport system dominated by informal operators, who account for about 95 percent of daily passenger movements.
Prof. Agyemang said studies showed Ghana lost more than GH¢4.5 billion annually to traffic congestion through lost productive hours, fuel wastage and health-related impacts.
He proposed a trunk-feeder transport model in which large buses would operate along major transport corridors, while smaller commercial vehicles would provide feeder services within communities.
He said the system should be supported by digital route mapping, real-time passenger information, integrated electronic fare payment systems, dedicated bus lanes and stricter traffic management measures.
Associate Professor of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Prof. Ricky Yao Nutsugbodo, also described Ghana’s public transport system as highly informal, inefficient and poorly regulated.
He attributed the challenges to decades of inadequate investment, weak regulation and fragmented planning, which had left the country heavily dependent on trotros and taxis that were never designed to serve as the backbone of a modern transport system.
Prof. Nutsugbodo said initiatives such as Metro Mass Transit and Aayalolo had achieved only limited success because they continued to operate within the same congested road network without dedicated bus lanes or sustainable management systems.
He recommended the development of an integrated multimodal transport system combining buses, rail services, bicycles and commercial motorcycles, supported by dedicated lanes and tailored approaches for both urban and rural communities.
Drawing lessons from cities including London, Singapore, Tokyo, Nairobi and Lagos, he said successful transport systems were built on integrated planning, seamless connections between different transport modes, unified ticketing systems and the effective use of digital technology.
Prof. Nutsugbodo stressed that an efficient and integrated public transport system was critical to improving mobility, reducing traffic congestion, lowering the cost of doing business, promoting trade and tourism, and advancing Ghana’s sustainable economic development.
