By Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo, GNA
Tema, Aug. 10, GNA – Transport and logistics experts have called for the prioritisation of Ghana’s railway development and stronger rail-port connectivity to reduce congestion, lower logistics costs and improve the country’s competitiveness as a regional trade and logistics hub.
They said an efficient railway system, integrated with road, port and inland terminal infrastructure, would facilitate faster cargo evacuation, reduce pressure on roads, and support the movement of heavy and bulk cargo across the country.
Mr Ignatius Kwasi Awortwe, a Senior Member of the Railway Technical Working Group of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), said railway was the “spine” of the logistics value chain and provided an efficient means of transporting large volumes of cargo at relatively lower cost.
Mr Awortwe said Ghana’s ambition to industrialise, expand trade and position itself as a regional logistics hub, required the country to prioritise railway development.
Over-reliance on road transport for cargo movement had resulted in congestion, road deterioration, accidents, increased maintenance expenditure, and high logistics costs, he said.
He cited the evacuation of clinker as an example, saying a vessel carrying about 60,000 tonnes of the cargo could take not less than nine days to evacuate using the current system, while an efficient rail system could significantly reduce the period.
He said the challenge also affected Ghana’s position as a trade gateway to landlocked countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which depended on Ghanaian ports for access to international trade.
Mr Awortwe stated that the development of an integrated transport system should involve the use of rail for long-distance and heavy cargo movement, with trucks handling first- and last-mile delivery to warehouses, factories and other destinations.
He called for the development of railway infrastructure, inland ports and terminals, improved road networks, and a clear transport policy to integrate the various modes of transport.
Ms Gertrude Ohene-Asienim, the Chief Executive Officer of White Stone Shipbrokers Limited and the West Africa School of Shipping, said an efficient multimodal transport system would help decongest roads, reduce emissions and improve the movement of people and cargo.
She said the country needed stronger connections between ports, railheads, roads and inland terminals, citing Boankra as an important inland facility that could play a greater role if effectively linked to the ports by rail.
Ms Ohene-Asienim noted that an efficient modal interface would enable cargo to move seamlessly from the port by rail, to inland depots and then by road to its destination.
Such integration would improve cargo visibility, delivery time and supply-chain efficiency while reducing congestion, road deterioration, accidents, and environmental pollution, she added.
The two experts were speaking at a media discussion powered by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) on the need to revitalise Ghana’s railway network, improve cargo movement and strengthen port connectivity.
They agreed that railway development should be supported by investment in human resource capacity, particularly in engineering, administration and technology, as well as the development of inland terminals.
They called for public-private partnerships in railway development, particularly to support the transportation needs of industries dealing in bulk commodities, noting that such participations could help accelerate investment in the railway network while reducing transportation and operational costs for businesses.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo
Reporter: Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo, GNA
[email protected]