Mahama Ayariga, Awudu Dauda and other staff of the Ministry The government is taking steps to revive and restructure the Aayalolo rapid bus transport system as part of efforts Read More... The post Govt Moves To Revive Aayalolo Bus System appeared first on DailyGuide Network .
***Mahama Ayariga, Awudu Dauda and other staff of the Ministry ***
The government is taking steps to revive and restructure the Aayalolo rapid bus transport system as part of efforts to tackle growing traffic congestion in major cities across the country.
The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, said the government would engage the Ministries of Transport, Roads and Interior, as well as the relevant traffic authorities, to develop a framework to make the bus service genuinely rapid and attractive to commuters.
According to him, the initiative is intended not only to address congestion in Greater Accra but also similar challenges confronting major urban centres such as Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale.
Speaking during an inspection tour of the Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive (GAPTE) terminal points at Adentan, Achimota and Kinbu, Mr. Ayariga said poor urban planning, coupled with population growth, had resulted in the concentration of government offices, commercial activities, markets, hospitals and other services within limited geographical areas.
He explained that the situation forced large numbers of people to travel in the same direction during peak hours, putting enormous pressure on the existing road network.
“The one thing that challenges us is how to rapidly get people to work and rapidly get them back home every single day,” he said.
He noted that while expanding roads and creating alternative routes remained necessary, such infrastructure projects required significant investment and would take time.
He therefore advocated an efficient public transport system that could move large numbers of people quickly between residential areas and city centres.
The Local Government Minister proposed the possible allocation of dedicated lanes to Aayalolo buses during peak periods to enable them to avoid traffic and maintain faster travel times.
He suggested that the arrangement could operate between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. in the morning and between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the evening, subject to discussions with the relevant authorities.
He also proposed the deployment of Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) personnel to support the buses during peak hours and ensure that designated routes remained clear.
Mr. Ayariga stressed that the success of the initiative would depend on reliability and speed, arguing that commuters would only abandon private vehicles and other forms of transport if Aayalolo offered a clear advantage.
“If you call it rapid, and it is moving at the same snail pace as any other vehicle in town, nobody will patronise the facility,” he said.
He cited transport systems in cities such as Istanbul and London as examples of how efficient public transportation could reduce dependence on private vehicles and make urban life more convenient.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive (GAPTE), Awudu Dauda, disclosed that efforts were already underway to restore the Aayalolo fleet.
He said GAPTE inherited only 80 operational buses but had since repaired more than 48, bringing the number of buses available on its corridors to 128.
He, however, disclosed that an audit had established that 60 of the original 245 buses were sent to the Ashanti Region in 2018 without authorisation from GAPTE or the Ministry of Local Government, while another 10 were sent to Takoradi.
Mr. Dauda said the buses had since been brought back under GAPTE’s management.
He explained that the buses were originally acquired to support the Greater Accra rapid transport system and help ease congestion in the metropolis.
He said GAPTE currently operates without government subsidy and relies on sources including advertising and institutional hiring to support its operations.
Mr. Dauda also indicated that the buses were acquired through an interest-free facility, with GAPTE expected to repay the cost of procurement. However, he said he had not seen any repayment since assumeng office.
Mr. Ayariga said the government would continue discussions with the relevant ministries and metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to develop a sustainable transport system capable of easing congestion.
He also called for greater investment by local Assemblies in public transport, arguing that efficient urban transport should be treated as an essential municipal service.
He expressed confidence that with proper organisation, Ghanaian cities could significantly reduce congestion without relying solely on expensive road expansion projects.
By Ernest Kofi Adu
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