By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, Sept. 08, GNA- Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, on Tuesday proposed the introduction of dedicated lanes for Aayalolo buses during peak hours to improve public transportation and reduce traffic congestion in Accra.
According to the Minister, the proposal would require collaborative discussions with key state institutions, including the Ministries of Roads and Highways, Transport, and the Interior, as well as the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, to map out the city and determine how the system can be implemented effectively.
Under the proposed arrangement, he explained that Aayalolo buses would be allocated special lanes on opposite sides of selected roads, depending on the direction of peak-hour traffic.
“This will allow the buses to bypass heavy congestion, reduce fuel consumption, cut travel time, and improve service reliability,” Mr. Ayariga said.
He made the proposal during a working visit to the Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive (GAPTE), operators of the Aayalolo Bus Service, where he engaged the management on measures to strengthen the operations of the bus system.
Explaining the rationale, the Minister said making Aayalolo reliable, faster, and more predictable would encourage private car owners to switch to public transport.
“The principle is for a special route for passengers so that they don’t spend time in traffic and then burn fuel in traffic and therefore be able to recover their cost; that is something also that we need to look at. I think that is where the problem is. We need to sit and then map out the city and the routes,” he said.
“If the people know they can sit in Aayalolo and get to work in 20 minutes and then sit in Aayalolo and get home in 20 minutes, trust me, they will leave their cars and join you,” he added.
Mr Ayatiga, also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, noted that transforming Aayalolo into a true rapid public transport system would be key to easing congestion in the capital and improving cost recovery for the service.
“So, we need to establish that, and we sit and examine the situation with MTTU and figure out how we can actually make Aayalolo a rapid public transport system,” Mr Ayariga stated.
The Aayalolo bus service, introduced to provide efficient and affordable intra-city transport, has in recent years faced operational challenges, including traffic delays, fuel costs, and low patronage during peak hours.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Elsie Appiah-Osei, GNA
Reporter’s email address: [email protected]