BUDGET: Mass transportation to receive a boost

The Ministry of Finance would review existing policies to guide the operation of mass transportation in the cities.

Consequently, the Omnibus Services Authority (OSA) would be restructured into zonal semi autonomous subsidiary companies with private sector participation to enable it to contribute to the mass transportation programme.


Presenting the 2002 Budget Statement to Parliament on Thursday, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, said the Government would continue to assist private sector operators to acquire high occupancy buses to augment their fleet.


The indebted National carrier, the Ghana Airways, was receiving attention, he said, adding "the government will soon come out on the way forward."


Mr Osafo-Maafo said in collaboration with other stakeholders, the National Road Safety Commission would intensify and sustain its road safety education programmes.


He said the government would import 100 large capacity buses for private sector operators this year in furtherance of government's policy on mass transportation. This follows Parliament's approval of a loan facility to import the buses.


Mr Osafo-Maafo said preparatory works for the reconstruction of the Accra-Yamoransa; Achimota-Apedwa; Tema-Sogakope; Kumasi-Techiman; Axim Junction-Tarkwa; Anyinam-Kumasi; Tetteh Quarshie Circle-Mamfe roads and the construction of Tetteh-Quarshie interchange were at various stages at the end of 2001. Work, he said, would continue on these roads.

He said the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) in its maintenance programme in 2001 completed 109 kilometres of regravelling out of a programmed 173 kilometres.


The following were also completed: 100 kilometres of spot improvement out of 146 kilometres; 225 kilometres of resealing out of 403 kilometres; 82 kilometres of re-surfacing out of 103 kilometres and 77 kilometres of upgrading out of 80 kilometres.


Some of these are the Brofoyedru-Akenkansu; Telekobokazo-Aniben Junction; Denu-Kedzi, and Bolgatanga-Bawku roads.


Mr Osafo-Maafo said as part of the road construction programme, the GHA also completed 244 kilometres out of 460 kilometres of roads. These included the Kpando-Worawora (Phase 1); Gyato Zongo-Yeji; Biriwa-Takoradi and Obuasi Town roads. Work is also in progress on the Wenchi-Sampa and Takoradi-Agona Junction roads.


The Department of Feeder Roads rehabilitated 407 kilometres of roads, regravelled 315 kilometres of roads, surface dressed 7.4 kilometres and undertook spot improvement of 613 kilometres of roads including the Jirapa-Babile in the Upper West Region; Elluokrom-Fosukrom in the Western Region, Gromesa-Kramokrom in the Ashanti Region and Kpatinga-Nawuni in the Northern Region.


He said the surface dressed roads also included the Ekye-Amanfrom-Amankwakrom and Huhunya-Boti roads. Fifteen bridges were completed in the Western and Central Regions while the Department of Urban Roads completed 120 kilometres of resurfacing, resealing and rehabilitation works out of the programmed 211 kilometres of roadway.