Public transport routes in Kumasi to be registered

By Thecla WRICKETTS, Kumasi
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (K.M.A) will soon launch a route registration exercise of all public transport routes in Kumasi under the regulatory reforms which will be facilitated by the Urban Transport Project (UTP) in March this year.
Under this project, the Assembly will also issue permits to the operators on the registered routes, to help the Assembly to properly regulate and plan its infrastructural provisions as well as provide a database for all public transport operators and on which routes they ply.
The Head of Project communications of the Urban Transport Project Mr Kwadwo Antwi made this known at a press briefing on the state of the Urban Transport Project in Kumasi.
The five-year project which is aimed at reducing congestion and help improve mobility within Accra and Kumasi was initiated barely two years ago by the Government of Ghana and supported by a US $96m grant from the World Bank, Agence Francaise De Development (afd) and GEF.
Currently, the project is being implemented in 10 metropolitan and municipal assemblies in the two cities.
In an address, Hon. Samuel Sarpong, the Metropolitan Chief Executive of the KMA, said the Urban Transport Project (UTP) was established to bring about the necessary reform to the poor transport systems within the two cities.
This, he further explained involves, the passing of the Urban Passenger Transport Service Bye-law under the Local Government Act (Act 462) and the establishment of Urban Passenger Transport Units (UPTU) to regulate and perform all functions relating to regulation of urban passenger transport services within its jurisdiction.
On the other hand, the outlook for the project for the year 2010 is deemed to undertake massive sensitization and public education through the media which he gave the assurance would be followed by the registration of all public transport routes and operators in the Assembly as well as to begin major works on selected junctions, terminals and bus stops. He further added that efforts were being put in place to secure the services of a firm which would provide central control systems for traffic lights in Accra and Kumasi.
The Mayor expressed that the Assembly has a vision of providing affordable, safe and efficient urban transportation system that would support the overall development and competitiveness of the city.
The project, according to Mr. Mike Obeng Konadu, the Director in charge of the Urban Transport Project in Kumasi, is in four faces which includes; regulation of the transport system, integration of urban development planning with transport planning ,engineering measures and the eventual introduction of bus transport systems. The Metropolis however is on the first face of the project.