Passengers stranded at Wa STC Coaches station

About 44 passengers were left stranded for over two hours at the Wa station of STC Coaches Ltd on Sunday, December 15, 2024, with no clear explanation for the delay.

Frustrated travelers were repeatedly told that the bus was "on its way," but over an hour past the scheduled departure time, there was still no sign of the vehicle.

Suleman, one of the passengers, expressed his frustration:"I arrived at the station at 4:00 PM as stated on my ticket, and the departure time was supposed to be 5:00 PM. It's now past 6:00 PM, and the bus is still not here. To make matters worse, there aren’t enough seats to accommodate waiting passengers, so I have been standing for over two hours."

He added that the delay could affect his plans.

"I have a meeting in Accra at 11:00 AM tomorrow, and with this delay, I’m not sure I’ll make it on time. This is disheartening."

Another passenger, who preferred to remain anonymous, criticized the lack of communication from the authorities:"We are customers, and with due respect, they should inform us about what is happening. The silence is frustrating," she lamented.

In response, the station manager claimed that efforts were made to keep passengers informed.

"I asked the staff to make two announcements. I’m not deliberately keeping you stranded," the manager explained.

However, many passengers expressed disappointment, saying that STC’s reputation for reliability has declined over the years.

"STC used to be trusted, but now they are not serious at all," one passenger remarked.

Several passengers feared the delays would cause them to miss important engagements in Accra.

The station manager explained that a technical challenge was responsible for the delay. They were in the process of providing a 38-seater bus for some passengers, while others would be accommodated in the middle seats.

"The bus scheduled for Accra this evening was used to replace a damaged bus heading to Tamale. We tried to repair the damaged bus but couldn’t find the necessary parts in time, which caused this challenge. I am truly sorry for the inconvenience," the manager said.

The STC is currently facing operational challenges due to a shortage of buses, resulting in frequent difficulties for passengers.