Ayalolo bus rapid transit takes off in September

Traveling to work in a traffic free route with the Bus Rapid Transit service known as Aayalolo is set to start in September in selected areas of Accra.

The $95 million dollar project which started in 2007 is finally taking off in September with dedicated routes in Accra. For those driving their own cars, they can only benefit if they are willing to park their cars and join the bus.

To ensure the safety of passengers, managers of the 85 buses for the first phase of the project have fitted wi-fi and USB cables in them to encourage patronage.

The Transport Committee of Parliament on Monday had the privilege of driving through the dedicated route to access the readiness of the project.

Samson Gyamera, Chief Executive Officer of GAPTEE, managers of the project, told Joy News' Parliamentary correspondent Elton Brobbey "We have dedicated bus stops, four terminals, a depot with workshop facilities. Also, the infrastructure is supported by an IT structure that allows us to have an automated fare collection system" .

President Mahama during the launch of the buses at Ofankor

He explained that in order to beat the traffic the project has a 22 kilometere stretch from Amasaman to Tudu in Accra Central as well as a subjugator which separates the lane from the main traffic.

"This will go against the direction of the traffic, so if you infringe on the dedicated lanes, you will be in the opposite direction of the bus and there is legislation backing in terms of law enforcement," he added.

Chairman of the transport committee of Parliament, Theophilus Tetteh Chaie welcomed the project but urged managers of the project to resolve identified challenges.

"We have looked at the structure of the bus and the bus is disability friendly and has other things that will enhance passenger comfort," he said.

He pointed out that some issues they have looked at include challenges with bus stops whether they will be dedicated solely to the people who would be using the buses.

Mr Chaie added that with a dedicated terminal that guarantees comfort, people will be encouraged to pack their cars and join the buses. He added that it would also mean those who are not supposed to use the terminal won't inconvenience the bus users.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim | Email: [email protected]