Mass transport service starts today

The operation of the mass public transport system begins in Accra on Monday. Christened the Metro Mass Transport Bus Service, it is in fulfilment of the government’s pledge to improve mass transport in the country and ease the dredgery of commuters, particularly in the city. A statement issued by the Ministry of Roads and Transport and signed by its Public Relations Officer, Ernest Asempa said a day’s ticket which costs ¢2,000 is valid for use on any of its buses throughout the day. It named the initial routes as Circle-Accra, Korle Bu-La, Nima-Circle-Accra, La-Circle, Mallam-Accra-Mallam, Dansoman-Accra-Dansoman and Adenta-Accra-Adenta. The statement said the service starts from 4.30 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. daily and will operate light service on Sundays. It did not, however, name the company that will operate the mass transport systems or the number of buses involved. It is believed however, that the 17 buses donated to Ghana by the Italian government and the 27 buses assembled by Neoplan Ghana Ltd recently will form the nucleus of the mass public transportation system. It expressed the hope that the general public will patronise the mass transit while the government takes steps to provide prompt, safe and reliable service. According to the statement, the pilot mass transit service will in the immediate future be extended to other parts of the Accra-Tema metropolis as well as other parts of the country. It added that, “the ministry wishes to seek the cooperation of other private transport sector operators to ensure smooth service in the interest of the general public. Since it assumed the reins of government on 7 January 2001, the NPP government has pledged to acquire huge occupancy buses to operate the mass transit system. In his state of the Nation Address to Parliament on 31 January this year, the President said the government had ordered 100 high occupancy buses for private sector operators to improve the public transport system