Kingdom transport to expand operations

Tema (Greater Accra) 25 Feb. '99-

Tema (Greater Accra) 25 Feb. '99- Kingdom Transport Services (KTS), currently Ghana's biggest private transport company, is to double the size of its fleet by the end of next year with an investment of 7.7 million dollars. KTS, the local agent for the American Bluebird buses, which currently has a fleet of 94 buses, has ordered more buses to provide transport services for workers in Kumasi and Takoradi and for school children in Accra. Mr Felix K. Semavor, chief executive of KTS, said funds for the expansion programme is being arranged through United Kingdom and American banks. He said KTS is also introducing a finance scheme whereby Bluebird buses, which he described as the number one bus service for schools in the world, will be supplied to schools and the payment spread over two years. The first school to benefit from the scheme is Wesley Girls' High school, Cape Coast. KTS clocked a turnover of over nine billion cedis last year and its expansion programme which will create about 400 jobs, has been approved by its board of directors. In another development, KTS drivers, who went on strike last month in protest against poor conditions of service, have been offered salary increases ranging from 25 to 43 per cent and allowed to form a trade union.