The country urgently requires a comprehensive and integrated strategy to reset the country’s transport system towards improved efficiency, seamless mobility and enhanced productivity.
Discussants at the Graphic Business-Stanbic Bank Breakfast Meeting yesterday explained that a well-structured transport system, anchored on a clear national policy framework, would effectively coordinate road, sea and air transport services and help transform the country’s already troubled transport industry.
The discussants, consisting of experts from academia, bankers and policymakers, stressed that such integration was essential to ensure seamless connectivity and enable daily commuters to travel to their destinations with ease.
They are an Associate Professor at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Professor Enoch F. Sam; the Head of Financial Advisory and Equity Capital Markets at Stanbic Bank Ghana, Isaac Simpson, and the Deputy Director of Policy and Planning at the Ministry of Transport, Eric Tetteh-Addison.
Speaking on the theme: “Why resetting Ghana’s urban transport system is an economic necessity,” the discussants took turns to outline proposals aimed at addressing long-standing challenges in the sector and reposition it to better support economic growth and urban development.
Context
There has been a rising shortage of public transport in recent times, creating enormous inconvenience for commuters.
On the other side, the fleet of private vehicles coupled with the low to medium capacity mini buses on the roads has created congestion on roads in major cities, with challenges for inter-city shuttles.
The breakfast meeting, which is an initiative of the Graphic Communications Group Ltd (GCGL) and the bank, therefore brought together policymakers, transport operators, financial sector leaders and people from the government to deliberate on why resetting Ghana’s urban transport system is an economic imperative.
The meeting is a series of dialogues that features selected topics aimed at influencing government policies to create a conducive business environment.
Prioritise integration
Prof. Sam stated that resetting the country’s transport system must prioritise integration across all modes rather than continuing the heavy reliance on roads, a position corroborated by Mr Tetteh-Addison.
He said while road transport currently dominated, rail, water and even non-motorised options such as walking and cycling remained underutilised despite their economic and environmental benefits.
“We should implement an integrated transport system that can coordinate all modes — private cars, public transport, cycling, walking, rail, water and air — so people can move efficiently and safely, no matter their choice,” he said.
Prof. Sam, an expert in transport geography, explained that certain bulky and hazardous goods that were transported by road could be shifted to rail to free road space for passenger commuting and reduce congestion.
He argued that an effective reset must begin with science, data and research to understand mobility patterns and commuter behaviour before budgeting and planning interventions.
“Without evidence-based planning and coordination of road, rail, air and water transport, efforts to improve productivity, reduce travel time and build a resilient urban transport system would remain fragmented and ineffective,” the professor of geography and transport services said.
He added that understanding how people moved and the unique needs of commuters was essential for an integrated system.
The solution
For his part, Mr Simpson stated that the country’s transport challenges would persist until there was strong political will backed by private capital to drive sustainable reforms.
Stanbic Bank’s Head of Financial Advisory and Equity Capital Markets said the solution required more than expanding roads and adding buses, but adopting a broader ecosystem approach that addressed urbanisation, infrastructure gaps and commercial planning.
“Until we have that political will and the private capital willing to support it, we will continue to struggle with these transport challenges,” he stated.
Mr Simpson explained that although financing options such as infrastructure bonds, pension funds, equity capital and climate-focused investments were available, effective regulation and revenue visibility remained critical to attracting investors.
He said that sustainable transformation of the sector depended on coordinated national policy, transparent revenue systems and long-term commitment from both government and the private sector.
On the importance of efficient planning and monitoring, Mr Simpson cited an international example where infrastructure investments dramatically reduced travel time and boosted productivity.
“For instance, in Abidjan, the construction of a bridge reduced commuting time from an hour and a half to just 15 minutes, which significantly enhanced economic efficiency,” he said.
Govt efforts
Going forward, Mr Tetteh-Addison announced that the government was taking steps to review and harmonise policies across the transport sector to ensure better coordination and service delivery.
He said that although the public had seen interventions such as the introduction of additional buses to ease commuter challenges, broader structural reforms were underway.
Mr Tetteh-Addison stressed that existence of multiple ministries previously overseeing different aspects of transport had created policy fragmentation and made integration difficult.
The Transport Ministry’s Deputy Director of Policy and Planning said the recent restructuring, which reduced the number of ministries in the sector, was aimed at promoting cohesion between transport services and infrastructure development.
The deputy director added that the ministry was reviewing key regulations governing transport services, with implementation expected to produce more visible and lasting improvements for Ghanaians.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh