Government to support MMT, STC with 495 buses

Accra , Oct 08, GNA - Mrs Dzifa Attivor, Minister of Transport, has said Government as part of its commitment towards improving the transport sector, had begun the process of acquiring 495 buses to strengthen the operations of the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) and the Intercity State Transport Corporation (STC).

She said the first set of 116 buses for MMT had already been delivered, adding that plans were also far advanced to introduce the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Accra.

Speaking at the 'Meet the Press' series, Mrs Attivor said the BRT services would on a pilot basis commence operations on the Amasaman-Accra, Adenta-Accra and Kasoa -Accra roads.

She said 10 buses for the BRT had already been delivered and were been used for the training of drivers as well as of scheduling of routes.

'The first 85 buses which would be used for the Amasaman-Accra corridor will be delivered by the end of 2015,' she added.

She said the construction of the Ghana Civil Aviation Training Academy (GATA) was about 95 percent completed and would be inaugurated before the year ended.

She also noted that by dint of hard work, the construction of the GHPA Maritime Hospital was about 80 percent completed and would also be commissioned in the first quarter of next year.

'A 12-storey Accra Shippers' House Building which will serve as the head office of the Shippers' Authority, act as a one stop shop for the provision of maritime services among others is also about 92 per cent completed,' she added.

Mrs Attivor said the Ghana Maritime University through its Internally Generated Fund had been able to construct a laboratory complex, while Government had also begun construction of a 2,000-seating capacity auditorium for the University.

She said there was a Transaction Advisory Services on going for the engagement of a strategic investor to partner Government to rehabilitate, upgrade and manage the Tema Shipyard.

She said the Ministry had also procured three units 50-seater high speed passenger ferries and one Modular Passenger/Cargo vessel for the provision of cross-lake ferry services.

'All four ferries have been assembled and are undergoing testing and trials for deployment,' the Minister added.

She said works of the construction of the Sekondi-Takoradi via Kojokrom sub-urban railway lines which was being funded by the Government of Ghana was also about 50 percent complete, adding that the remodeling of the existing Takoradi Railway Station had also commenced.

For the Eastern Railway lines, she said Transaction Advisory Services had begun to assist in the selection of a private sector partner for the development of the Eastern Line and the Boankra Inland Port as an integrated logistics corridor to increase transit trade and also reduce congestion at the Tema Port.

She said as part of Government's effort to reduce the rampant faking of the manual Road Worthy Stickers, the Police had been trained and equipped to undertake enforcement of the Electronic Road Worthy Stickers, adding that four culprits had been given jail sentences.

The Minister said the DVLA had commenced with the enforcement of the installation of seat belts in new vehicles, which were going through registration, adding that, directives the installation of new seat belts for old ones would be given later.

She cited inadequate funding to support infrastructure and services, draft limitations at the port which do not meet the demands of bigger modern vessels at the ports, absence of training vessel for on-board practical training at the Regional Maritime University, encroachment and lack of land titles for transport infrastructure development and service provision as some of the challenges facing the transport sector. GNA