Government is pushing for stronger collaboration among policymakers, financial institutions, academia and private operators to address the deep-rooted challenges affecting Ghana’s transport system.
Speaking at the Graphic Business and Stanbic Bank Ghana Breakfast Meeting, the Director of Policy Planning at the Ministry of Transport, Eric Tetteh-Addison, said tackling congestion and inefficiencies requires a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach.
“To solve congestion, it must be a multifaceted approach. The transport system is made up of infrastructure, vehicles and load. If the vehicles are available but the infrastructure is inadequate, demand will exceed supply. That is where you begin to see shortages and chaos within the system,” he explained.
Mr Tetteh-Addison stressed that while road expansion falls under another ministry, the Transport Ministry is working to improve service delivery within existing infrastructure constraints, particularly through mass transit solutions.
“What we have control over is how to provide services effectively and efficiently based on the infrastructure that currently exists, even if that infrastructure is inadequate. If you look at the roadside today, particularly private cars, you see one car carrying one or two people. Within 100 metres you may have 50 cars but only 50 people. If instead you have three high occupancy buses in that same space carrying 80 to 100 people each, you are moving more than 300 people at a go and freeing up road space for others,” he stressed.
He disclosed that government is also collaborating with relevant institutions to expand alternative modes of transport. A revised Legislative Instrument currently before Parliament will require vehicle owners to register with towing companies to ensure broken down vehicles are cleared promptly.
“Road transport has dominated the space in Ghana for too long. Rail is not functioning as it should, and water transport is virtually absent. We are studying how to use coastal waters and improve movement on the Volta Lake so we are not relying only on roads. There will come a time when you will not see broken down vehicles sitting on our roads for hours. If you fail to act within the stipulated time, the National Road Safety Authority will tow the vehicle and charge you. We must bring discipline onto our roads,” he added.
Beyond infrastructure, stakeholders emphasised the need for stronger financial collaboration and discipline to sustain reforms.
Executive Head of Business and Marketing at Stanbic Bank Ghana, Mawuko Afadzinu, revealed that a 50 million dollar revolving transport financing scheme introduced in 2007 collapsed due to widespread loan defaults, undermining what could have been a transformative partnership between banks and transport operators.
“The vision was that beneficiaries would pay 10 percent upfront, complete payment within four years, and the money would revolve to finance more buses. Over time, Ghana would have had thousands of new vehicles financed through a self-sustaining scheme. There were huge defaults. Some people took vehicles on behalf of others. Some borrowed from places with unsustainable interest rates just to raise the 10 percent deposit. Once you burden yourself with expensive loans, it becomes difficult to service even a reasonably structured facility,” Mr Afadzinu said.
He maintained that restoring trust and integrity in financial agreements is critical to rebuilding such collaborative models.
“If we increase our sense of integrity and respect for process, if we take a loan, agree to the terms and do whatever it takes to repay, we can change this country. It is not just leadership, it is all of us. Without that systemic mindset shift, it is difficult to bring such a model back,” he emphasised.
From academia, Professor Enoch F. Sam, Director of Research, Innovation and Development at the University of Education, Winneba, underscored the importance of data driven collaboration in shaping reforms.
“The first thing is to understand how our people move, how they commute and for what reasons. With that understanding, we can determine the most efficient ways of moving them,” he said.
He also called for coordinated action across sectors to reduce overreliance on roads and address behavioural bottlenecks.
“We are overly focused on roads. Some bulk goods should move by rail or water. That will free space for daily commuting activities. Clear hawkers off the roads and provide them with appropriate spaces. Make public transport more efficient by moving people in mass numbers. Integrate trotros as feeder services to high capacity buses instead of pushing them out abruptly. We have beautiful policies and plans. The issue is implementation. We must move beyond talk and walk the talk,” he said. Stakeholders concluded that addressing Ghana’s transport challenges will require stronger collaboration, disciplined implementation and shared responsibility. While government is setting the tone, sustained partnership among regulators, financiers, operators and commuters will be crucial to easing congestion and improving economic efficiency.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com
