By Prince Acquah
Cape Coast, April 13, GNA – Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Minister of Transport, has touted the achievements chalked in the transport sector over the past seven years under his leadership.
He said despite the numerous challenges, the sector since 2017 had seen tremendous transformation in aviation, maritime and road transports.
Speaking at the opening session of the 2024 strategic meeting of the Ministry in Cape Coast, the Minister highlighted some of the major achievements in the aviation sector including the upgrade of the Tamale Airport to an international status.
He said it had also rehabilitated phase one of the Sunyani Airport, completed the Kotoka International Airport Terminal Three project, established an independent body responsible for aircraft incident and accident investigations and prevention, and now expanding the Kumasi Airport to international status.
In the maritime space, Mr Asiamah said it had constructed a new liquid bulk terminal at the Takoradi Port and completed the construction of a container terminal at Tema Port.
He added that 12 fish landing sites along the coast and a fishing port for Elmina had been constructed while a port for James Town was near completion, and the Meridian Port Services Terminal retooled with 15 modern ships and other logistics.
“We are developing the Boankra integrated logistics terminal, which is ongoing, removed tree stamps along parts of the Volta Lake, completed an assessment of the Volta Lake, acquired a total of seven high speed patrol and rescue boats and trash skimmers to remove rubbish from waterbodies and protected sea life,” he added.
In road transportation, Mr Asiamah said the government acquired 200 intercity buses for Metro Mass Transit and 100 intercity buses for STC.
The Ministry had also passed the National Road Safety Authority Act 2019 (Act 993) and the National Road Safety Authority Regulation 2022, and digitalised and improved services of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
In addition, the National Transport Policy has been revised, the National Electric Vehicle Policy developed, and again, championed the “arrive alive and stay alive campaign to ensure road safety.”
The two-day strategic meeting assembled all relevant stakeholders to review the performance of the sector from 2017 to date, reflecting on the achievements, development issues and identifying areas for improvement.
This, among others, seeks to enable the various agencies and stakeholders under the sector to align their vision towards that of the President’s to improve the quality of life and spur development.
As part of the meeting, the stakeholders underwent a leadership and management training session to equip them with the skills to navigate the evolving landscape of the transport sector.
Despite the achievements, the Minister acknowledged that the sector was faced with countless challenges including a growing demand for the reduction of urban traffic crashes and fatalities.
He said there was also the pressing need to reduce Ghana’s carbon footprint and mitigate the impact of climate change as well as deal with the deteriorating condition of the Volta Lake.
Beyond that, Mr Asiamah alluded to some institutional framework challenges which needed urgent rectification.
“We can only move forward if we take steps to address development issues facing the sector,” he observed, adding that the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Ghana Shippers Authority and the DVLA were at various stages of reviewing their Acts to address some identified challenges and adopt emerging practices in the industry.
“It is important that we speed up the processes and in particular, the engagement with various stakeholders to ensure that the reviews are all-encompassing and can withstand the test of time,” he said.
The Sector Minister commended and thanked all stakeholders for peacefully collaborating with him over the years.
Dr Evans Aggrey Darko, Head of Civil Service, reflecting on the successes achieved, commended the sector for the growth despite the bottlenecks.
He noted that each stakeholder had a crucial role to play in shaping the future of transportation in Ghana.
He added that it was imperative to embrace the global technological advancement in the sector, citing autonomous vehicles to smart infrastructure, among others.
“We must foster a culture of excellence, efficiency and continuous improvement in the public sector,” he noted.
Mr Justina Marigold Assan, the Central Regional Minister, underscored the importance of the sector to human life and economic outcomes and commended government and the Ministry for the various initiatives propelling the advancement of the sector.
“It is my prayer that the challenges confronting the sector will find lasting and sustainable solutions through this strategic review meeting. I, therefore, pray you to show active interest in the ensuing discussions,” she stated.
“Let us all bring on board contributions from our various rich and diverse backgrounds so as to collectively put our shoulders to the wheel for optimum results,” she added.
Stakeholders including transport operators, NRSA and staff of the sector ministry praised the minister for demonstrating exemplary leadership.
GNA