'Govt serious about improving urban transport'

The government is committed to ensuring efficient urban passenger transport services, Dr Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, Chairman of the Steering Committee on Urban Transport (SCUTA), implementing the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), has said .

He said the BRT was not intended to deprive the existing commercial transport operators of their businesses but to create a congenial atmosphere for them to operate transportation efficiently.

Dr Vanderpuije, who is also the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, made the remark when he paid a working visit to BRT Depot at Achimota and Amasaman, to inspect the progress of work for the smooth take off of the system by December, this year.

He reaffirmed that bye-laws and other regulatory reforms were not intended to collapse the businesses of transport operators such the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC) and asked them to support the new system.

He noted that the project was to be implemented to address the challenges passengers face with travelling within Accra and its surrounding areas.

Dr Vanderpuije said the government identified reforms in the urban transport sector through the implementation of improved bus services on the four main transport corridors in Accra.

“These are Amasaman, Adenta, Kasoa, and Tema, all leading to the Central Business District of Accra,” he said. “The BRT system is going to run by the drivers themselves so they still have more work to do.”

He said SCUTA was anticipating that before the end of November the first 20 buses would arrive.

Mr Sam Attuquaye Quaye, Municipal Chief Executive of the Ga South, gave the assurance that he would release two acres of land at Amasaman for a modern car park for commuters who would wish to park their cars and pick the bus to Accra.

Mr Ezekiel Nana Bayin of Associated Consultants, said the facilities at the depots provided by SCANIA, would have a washing bay with an automatic modern water recycling equipment, the first of its kind in Ghana.