Kumasi, Jan 19, GNA - Some commuters in the Kumasi Metropolis have appealed to the government to act with urgency to assist

private commercial transport owners to acquire high occupancy buses for their operations and bring to an end the transportation crisis in

the metropolis. They said the use of high occupancy buses for metro transit was the surest way to solve the acute transportation problems,

especially during the morning and evening rush hours. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi in separate interviews, they expressed disgust at the difficulties they go through,

getting vehicle from one destination to another. They attributed the situation to the over-reliance on 15-seat mini buses and said there were the causes of the traffic congestion

in the metropolis. The transport stations presently are characterized by long queues in the mornings and the situation is worsened in the evening

especially at the Kejetia terminal and the central business district of Adum. Some commuters are now forced to change about three vehicles before they reach home, paying more than double the normal

fare. Ms Ernestina Asante, a resident of Atonsu said the "only solution to the daily nightmare is for the government to assist private

transport operators to acquire buses which can pick more passengers at a time." She suggested to transport owners to also form cooperatives to enable them acquire high occupancy buses for their operations. Mr G.K Acheampong, Secretary of the Anwomaso branch of the GPRTU, said even though most commuters in the past were not

enthused about the use of buses, the situation now is different. He appealed to the government to provide soft loans to transport owners to acquire big buses. Mr Acheampong also appealed to the Department of Urban Roads to expand some of the existing roads in the metropolis and

rehabilitate the deplorable ones to facilitate easy movement of vehicles. Mr Vincent Owusu, a resident of Sokoban, said the traffic congestion has been fuelled by the unbridled desire of individuals to

acquire their own means of transportation due to the absence of efficient and reliable public transport system. He wondered what had happened to the Metro Mass Transit system introduced by the NPP government. He urged the government to take a critical look at the current transportation problem and to address it since it was contributing to

the low productivity.