A Town and Country Planner, Nii Teiko Tagoe, has said that a vibrant railway system will help sanitize and improve Ghana’s urban public transportation system.
According to him, Ghana’s current transport system is congested, and that an efficient railway system, if put in place, will drastically improve the current system.
[contextly_sidebar id=”Krw39r76FYnJWxWyVNVBmm6Oako2Lz31″]Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, he stated that, one cannot be impressed with the transportation system in Ghana, comparing it to what exists in other developed countries.
“Well, my experience maybe, possibly from other developed countries or other emerging countries, is the linkage between the systems there. Unfortunately in our system, what is not available is the railway system to complement public transportation,” he noted.
He said Ghana depends solely on smaller vehicles, with low carrying capacity, which results in more vehicles on the roads, which causes a lot of inconveniences due to the traffic congestion.
He stated that there is nothing special about having a modern urban public transportation because all the technologies are available, adding that what is needed is funding to make it possible and make transportation effective.
“It is a matter of funding, the technology is available, once you are able to get the funding to acquire the technology to build an integrated system that coordinates the traffic light in the city and it gives you updates information that you can use to relate to those who are using the system ”he said.
Government as part of improve the transportation system, has commenced processes to revamp the railway transportation system by dedicating an entire Ministry to the sector.
The railway system among other things, seeks to boost transportation of mineral resources in resource-rich areas of the country. Government also intends connecting Ghana’s rail system to the trans-ECOWAS line.
The Minister for Railways Development, Joe Ghartey, has assured that before the end of President Akufo-Addo’s mandate in 2020, the rehabilitation and construction of the Western rail line and others would be completed.
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By: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana