Ghana To Introduce Bus Rapid Transit System

The Minister for Transportation, Dr Richard Anane yesterday announced government's intention to introduce a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System which would seek to deal with the increasing urban transport problems in the country.
   
He expected that the BRT system would attract over 10,000 passengers during the peak hour adding that it would also increase the productivity of buses and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

 This was contained in an address read on behalf of the transport minister at a forum organised by the Department of Urban Roads in collaboration with participating Assemblies to make an input into a draft bye-laws for the regulations of the urban passenger transport units in Accra.
   
He added that the existing 'trotros' would be assisted to reform their operations within a reformed regulatory environment, to provide feeder bus services along the proposed corridor to operation the feeder lines of the system.
   
It is expected that larger buses will operate a scheduled service along the exclusive BRT lanes in the median of the road. The services will be provided by an operator under a route service contract with the assembly, the minister said.
   
He hinted that the Mallam-Central Business District (CBD) corridor has been selected as a pilot route, he said with the successful implementation of the BRT system on the pilot route, other routes which have been mapped out as potential BRT routes would also be considered.
   
Dr Anane said, 'this pilot project is expected to reduce travel time for bus passengers along the route to an estimated 25 minutes compared to the over one hour at the best time of the day.
   
It is his expectations that the Urban Transport Project would give boost to the operation of the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) to enable it make the necessary impact in the provision of affordable and reliable transport services in support of the economy.
   
He assured all operators of urban transport services, the mini buses and taxis that this project is not meant to push them out of business but to assist them to properly organise their operation.
   
The Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Mr. Kwadwo Adjei-Darko said public transport has become governance and development issues which challenge both local and central governments. Pragmatic solutions therefore would have to be found to ameliorate it as quickly as possible, he added.