Govt procures 495 buses for MMT, Inter-City STC
The government has procured 495 buses for the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) Company and the Inter-City STC (ISTC) to improve public mass transport in the country.
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Two hundred of the buses, out of which 116 have been delivered to the MMT are currently deployed for intra-city operations in Accra and other regions.
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Mrs Joyce Bawa Mogtari, who announced this at the opening session of the Transport Sector Development Partners conference at the Akosombo Hotel in the Eastern Region, explained that the decision to inject more buses was aimed at addressing congestion in the urban areas.
Three-day conference
The three-day conference brought together the various agencies in the Transport and the Roads and Highways ministries as well as development and donor partners to review the previous years and chart a way forward for developing stronger and more effective solutions to addressing the many challenges facing the transport sector.
The conference was on the theme, “Ghana’s transformation Agenda: Sustainable integrated transport systems for socio-economic growth.”
More buses
Mrs Mogtari further announced that similarly 245 of the buses, out of which 69 had been delivered, would be used for the newly introduced bus rapid transit system along the Amasaman-Accra route on a pilot basis to improve travel time within the city.
She said 50 intercity buses were expected by the end of the month for the ISTC to augment its fleet.
Development partners’ contribution
In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini announced that between 2009 and now, the road sector had attracted development partner funds of loans and grants to the tune of about $1.6 billion.
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“Indeed, an analysis of the expenditure pattern of the road sector, from all sources during the period under review indicates that, funds from the development partners is the largest source of funding and continues to increase annually,” he said.
Various projects
Alhaji Fuseini gave a comprehensive report on completed projects and other major projects still being executed with funds from development partners as well as other government of Ghana (GoG) projects.
He announced that his ministry, in collaboration with the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), was implementing several other projects aimed at rehabilitating, upgrading and maintaining roads vital for the haulage of cocoa in the six cocoa growing regions.
Alhaji Fuseini said 141 contracts amounting to GH¢2.8 billion had, been awarded under the ministry and COCOBOD collaboration.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Ms Mavis Ama Frimpong, who chaired the opening session, said the government and indeed, Ghanaians were grateful to the development partners for their role in national development.
She, however, urged them “Not to get tired but to continue to support us until we get there.”
The Resident Representative of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Ms Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, who spoke on behalf of the development partners pledged the continued support to the country’s development agenda.
Development plans
A Board Member of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Mr Steve Akuffo, who delivered the keynote address, took the participants through the various development plans.
He bemoaned the uncoordinated nature of development in the country and asked all sectors to come out with their own plans, but that they must all be integrated.
,“If we are going to succeed, it is important that we integrate our projects,” Mr Akuffo said.