Transport Sector Falls Apart

Mike Hammah

THE MINISTRY for Transport has disclosed that the current state of the transport sector in the country is deplorable and needs an urgent rehabilitation system to save it from total collapse.

The Minister of Transportation, , made the disclosure in Accra during his turn at Meet-The-Press yesterday.

He said the Ministry of Transport has oversight responsibility over aviation, Maritime and Inland Water Transport, Railways and Road Transport Services and added that all the said sectors have serious challenges that are not making them effective.

According to him, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as part of its measures to rectify the situation has put up various measures to amend the situation.

Some of the measures, he said, include setting up of international training schools for drivers, provision of funds to address the poor truck infrastructure that had resulted in partial operation of Eastern and Central railway lines.

Mr. Hammah said the government is also trying to increase the axle load from 16 tonnes on the Western Line and 14 tonnes on Eastern and Central Lines to 25 tonnes.

He said the government has also released $2million to intervene in the Western Line that is currently non-operational to make it operational.  

He stressed that the Ministry, which was established in January 2009 by re-aligning the functions of the erstwhile Ministries of Aviation, Harbour and the Road Transport Services, is now in collaboration with the government to release enough funds to first tackle sectors that need pressing attention.

Mr. Hammah added that the NDC government would ensure that the Transport sector is provided with what it needs to make it effective.

Touching on the challenges currently facing Ghana Civil Aviation thus making it ineffective, he pointed out that encroachment of Aviation (GCAA and GACL) lands is one of the problems.

According to him, a lack of adequate legal and Regulatory Empowerment of Ghana Airport Company and the use of Wet leased aircraft by GIAL for operations and non-certification of the airline leading to continuous operational losses among many other challenges are factors.

In the Maritime and inland water sub-sector, he said the government has planned to put in place legislation to deal with marine pollution, safety and security.

He said government would also develop a new container terminal for the ports in Tema and Takoradi and provide adequate oil pollution preparedness and a response system, among many others.

Mr. Hammah stressed that under the Road Transport Services; government is currently reviewing the operations of the shipyard and would soon come out with its position on the way forward.

He said the government is also constructing jetties and suitable landing facilities for the berthing of vessels and reception facilities for passengers and chart navigational fairways, among others.

Mr. Hammah lamented that road accidents in the country are also on the ascendancy due to many factors.

He said as part of measures to reduce the high road accident rate, government in collaboration with Metro Mass Transport (MMT) and the State Transport Corporation (STC), would come together to provide safe and affordable inter-city scheduled bus services.

The Minister of Transport pointed out that his Ministry is also trying its best to assist the private sector to acquire buses through the establishment of a Private Sector Vehicle Renewal project.

The Minister also indicated that there has been a steady decline in the passenger patronage of the MMT buses due to their decreasing numbers on the road and the poor state of the working buses.

Mr. Hammah added that since 2004, vehicle registration has been increasing at annual average of 7.5 per cent and that had also contributed to the increase of the road accidents.

He said registered vehicles also fail to renew their roadworthiness certificate at the Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority.

He said DVLA as part of measures to address the high rate of road accident in the country, is going to introduce probationary licensing system to improve standards for driver training and specification testing of vehicles.

The Sector Minister stressed that DVLA is also going to set up an epilepsy test system such that anybody applying for a vehicle-licensing certificate would go through it.

By Stella Danso & Archibald Owusu-Ansah