Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, has said making the Aayalolo Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system reliable and predictable is key to increasing commuter patronage.
He said commuters would readily opt for public transport if they could depend on buses to arrive at scheduled times and reach their destinations within predictable periods.
Mr Ayariga made the remarks when he toured the facilities of the Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive (GAPTE-Aayalolo) to assess the number and condition of buses available and engage management on measures to increase the number of buses in operation.
He said Aayalolo must provide a dependable service to attract more commuters and contribute meaningfully to reducing traffic congestion in Ghana’s major urban centres.
“In other jurisdictions where rapid transport systems work effectively, people are prepared to wait for buses because they know the buses will come and they know approximately how long it will take to get to their destinations,” he said.
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The Minister said Ghana’s rapidly growing urban population, particularly in Greater Accra, Greater Kumasi and the Sekondi-Takoradi enclave, made an efficient and dependable mass transit system increasingly important.
He said the concentration of economic and government activities in major urban centres resulted in large numbers of people travelling in the same direction during peak hours, thereby putting pressure on the road network.
“The rapid growth of the country’s major cities, coupled with structural challenges in urban planning, has resulted in large numbers of people travelling into the same commercial and government centres every morning and returning in the opposite direction in the evening,” he said.
Mr Ayariga said although long-term solutions would require expanding road infrastructure and decentralising economic and government activities, an efficient rapid transit system could provide an immediate alternative to commuters.
He noted that Aayalolo buses could not be considered rapid if they remained stuck in the same traffic as private cars and other commercial vehicles.
He said he would engage the Ministers responsible for Roads and Highways, Transport and Interior, as well as the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, to explore practical measures to improve the speed and reliability of the service.
One of the measures to be considered, he said, was the possible allocation of dedicated road lanes for Aayalolo buses during peak periods, supported by appropriate traffic management and public education.
Mr Ayariga, however, stressed that the proposal was not yet government policy but an idea that would be discussed with relevant stakeholders and technical authorities.
He said a properly designed system with predictable schedules could encourage motorists to leave their private vehicles at home and patronise public transport.
“The goal is to have a service that commuters can count on. Reliability is central to building public confidence in the system,” he said.
The Minister said making Aayalolo genuinely rapid would also improve its financial efficiency by reducing the time buses spent in traffic and allowing them to make more trips each day.
He further encouraged metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) in major urban areas to invest in public transport, saying efficient transportation was an essential service that local authorities should support for residents.
“The government will also encourage metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies within major urban enclaves to invest in the service because public transportation is an important service that local authorities must support for their residents,” he said.
