According to the Minister for Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, about $100 million was secured as a loan from the World Bank for the BRT project,  but was not put to good use by the previous administration.

[contextly_sidebar id=”AYEm0FLOQnXJssjVgDzhZsrLaTEGF3Fp”]Speaking to Citi News after the President’s State of the Nation address, Mr. Asiamah said more Aayalolo buses will soon be deployed after the construction of a terminal at the PWD yard in the central business district of Accra.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, in his address, bemoaned the daily traffic jams and congestion in various parts of the capital, which he said was making Accra unattractive.

Mr. Ofori Asiamah also described the situation as unpardonable, and said his Ministry was working to correct the situation.

“The congestion in our city is something unacceptable which we need to work on. The World Bank gave us a loan of about $100 million for the Aayalolo buses and their attendant infrastructure. The infrastructure that they were supposed to put in place, they didn’t do it,” the Minister remarked.

He recalled that the current government had to go to “London to see HSBC, renew the loan and start the construction of the bus terminal at PWD… we cannot operate Aayalolo buses when they come to the city without having a bus terminal.”

“The dedicated bus lane that they were supposed to build from Adenta to the Central City, they have not been able to build it. Ask them where is the money,” Mr. Ofori Asiamah lamented.

The Quality Bus system (QBS), which is making use of the Aayalolo buses, was initially envisioned as part of a Bus Rapid Transport system, but the absence or lack of dedicated lanes meant it did not match up to that standard.

Most major roads to Accra have gained notoriety for having the city’s worst traffic jams.

Some of these roads include the Madina to 37 road, Circle to Achimota road, Ofankor to Pokuase road, and the Tema motorway – Tetteh Quarshie roundabout.

Efforts by previous governments to address the problem seem not to have yielded results as the traffic situation has not improved.

Some analysts have suggested a total review of the country’s transportation system with a shift from the construction of new roads to the implementation of policies that will encourage boarding of commercial buses and an efficient railway system.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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This move, he said, will be enforced through sensitization and the intervention of the enforcement agencies.

“The issue of goro boys is an issue that confronts every service seeker. I have said that so long as there is human interface in doing some of these businesses, it will create an avenue for them so one thing I will seek to do is to advise them [DVLA] to go for full automation, technology and constant education. We need to educate the general public about the existence of these goro boys and the need for them to be very careful and also try to bring in the enforcement agency,”

The DVLA in 2014 complained about the influx of Goro Boys at the Authority.

The Authority explained that, the Goro boys interrupt their work by harassing and intercepting documents from clients supposedly to be sent to DVLA officials.

The Authority therefore pledged to get rid of them by clamping down on their activities.

Speaking during his vetting at Parliament House a few hours ago , Mr. Ofori -Asiamah said his Ministry will also devise a mechanism to ensure that roads registered by the DVLA are road worthy.

About Kwaku Ofori – Asiamah

Mr. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah is 47 years old. He is a graduate of the University of Cape Coast, and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree.

After his National service with Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Tema, in 2000, he worked as Marketing Manager at Household Aluminium Company Ltd.

He has also worked at Quest Resource Development Consultancy Ltd, and was the General Manager of Josa Plus Ventures.

He served as a member of NPP campaign team in the Central Region in 2008, 2012 and 2016. He also served as a member of National Council of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) from 2009 to date.

He is married with four children.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

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