Mixed reaction to mass transport system

The mass transportation service commenced on Monday in parts of Accra, the nation’s capital, with a very low patronage. Meant to carry 100 passengers each, some of the buses had conveyed 16 passengers in a total of three trips by 11 a.m.

Most people the Ghanaian Times spoke to said there was little information on how the buses operated. Commuters virtually ignored the empty buses and bordered the “trotros” to their destinations. Two of the buses that the paper’s staff joined from Circle to Accra and Circle to Malam, had two passengers and one respectively.

A conductor on one of the buses, which plied Circle-Accra-Circle, had sold out only 12 tickets by 10am even though the bus had made three trips on that route. He said some of the passengers complained that the fare was too much since they would board the buses about twice in a day.

On the contrary, other passengers, especially traders and businessmen, said they had no problem with the fare. Philip Asiedu, an Accounts clerk, said the system was good for him since he moved around a lot and the buses could help him.

For Osman Bello, the system was a great relief. He had used his ticket three times by 11am and expected to use it few more times during the day because of his heavy schedule. Most of the conductors said they were having difficulty trying to convince passengers, some of whom refused to board the buses when they heard that it would cost them ?2000 for a ticket.

They would not understand that they could use the ?2000 ticket many times during the day. For instance, Akim Ponnle, a trader, did not understand why he had to pay ?2000 from Accra to Circle. He refused to pay the amount when the bus got to Circle.

According to the conductors, there was the need to educate the public on the service as well as advertise it. One of them on a bus plying Malam-Accra-Kaneshie-Malam said the bus had designated stops where it would wait for some minutes for passengers to board and alight. He said the buses had 39 seats and a lot of standing space, which could accommodate more than 60 passengers.

When contacted, Michael Osafo-Mensah, chairman of the Advisory Committee on the Mass Transportation System, admitted that information had not gone to the public that much.

He was, however, optimistic that patronage would increase as the people got to know how beneficial and convenient the service was. The service, he said, was operating on five routes with 17 buses. Every route, he said, had two buses with one standby to attend to emergencies.

fo-Mensah said a team was on the ground to monitor the operation of the buses, gather information and see how best it could be improved. “We are prepared to do something if there is a need to modify how the buses operate.”

said the Ministry would sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Omnibus Services Authority (OSA) for the buses to use OSA’s facilities. These would include OSA’s fuel pump stations, workshop and parking yards.

collaboration with OSA, he said, would go a long way to support the service since it had no facilities on its own. That, the chairman explained, could provide financial support OSA, which the authority badly needed, adding that many of OSA’s drivers had been employed to man the buses. - The Ghanaian Times

Commuters Welcome Mass Transportation, but.... (Graphic) -- Commuters within the city of Accra have welcomed the introduction of the mass transportation system within the Accra metropolis.

Some of the passengers have, however, expressed concern about the operations of the Metro Mass Transport Service, such as the flat fare being charged. They called for the expansion of the services to cover all areas within the city.

Most people interviewed were of the opinion that the service was long overdue as it will reduce the hustle and bustle associated with looking for vehicle during the rush hours in the morning and evenings.

They expressed the hope that the introduction of the mass public transport will be sustained and not go the way of previous state-run mass transport systems, such as Omnibus Service Authority (OSA), and City Express bus service, which are now defunct.

The 17 buses, which have seating capacities ranging from 20 to 48 and can accommodate 100 people, are currently operating within five out of the 17 routes in the city.

Opinion was, however, divided on the ?2,000 flate rate being charged a day for use on any of the buses.

While a number of passengers interviewed were of the opinion that the fare is moderate, others were of the opinion that the ?2,000 fare is on the high side. They explained that by the nature of their work, they do not require a ticket that is valid for the whole day and costs ?2,000 when a round trip from Accra to Circle costs only ?1,000.

In a related development, patronage of the Metro Mass Transport System began on a slow note due to the heavy down pour early in the morning, coupled with the inadequate public awareness of the programme.

The Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Mass Transport Committee, Mr Michael Osarfo-Mensah, said in an interview that 20 more buses are expected in the country by the end of the year.

This, he said, is to complement the 17 buses being used on a pilot basis as well as expand the operations to cover all the 17 routes within the city.

He said presently, there are three buses allocated to the five routes being operated and added that it is the aim of the committee to make available six buses per route.

He mentioned that other routes to benefit under the scheme as New Town-Circle, Dansoman-Kaneshie, Adenta-Accra, Sakumono-Accra and Sakomono-Cirlce. The rest are Dome-Circle, Lapaz-Cirlce, Sowutuom-Kaneshie, Sakumono-Tetteh Quarshie-Accra.

He said the buses were allocated based on a survey conducted on the routes that covered such areas as the demand, bottlenecks in network, traffic congestion, and car ownership in these areas.

Giving details of the operations of the system, Mr Osarfo-Mensah said an interim management board is to be set up by the committee to manage the operations of the transport system.

He said a memorandum of understanding has been signed with the Omnibus Service Authority (OSA) that will permit the use of facilities of OSA. Mr Osarfo-Mensah mentioned the use of such facilities such as the fuel pumps, parking space and the use of their workshop bay for the routine maintenance works as well as other services.

He said that the concept of the public transport system is to offer services to the people in the city to ensure a swift and efficient transport system in the country and added that the operations of the system will be reviewed in line with public demand.

He said that a monitoring team will report back on the operations of the buses during the piloting stages and the result of the recommendations will enable the committee to review the operations of the system to ensure an efficient service to the general public.

Mr Osarfo-Mensah said that the service will within the next year be extended to Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Tamale as well as other regional capitals.

He revealed that about 60 buses are needed within the Accra metropolis alone and stressed that the long-term objective of the system is to operate a schedule transport system that will be time conscious.

In another development, the General Secretary of the General Transport, Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union of the TUC, Mr Emmanuel A. Mensah, has described the introduction of the Metro Mass Transit Bus Service as a step in the right direction, reports Emmanuel Tandoh.

In an interview in Accra yesterday, he said the move would not only reduce the pressure on workers who commute from their homes to their workplaces but will also enhance productivity.

He said a full day’s fare of ?2,000 is affordable.

Mr Mensah urged the operators of the transport system to be vigilant to ensure that only those holding valid tickets board the buses.

He also called for a mechanism to be put in place to check the situation where some commuters will transfer their tickets to others.