Big buses to replace small commercial vehicles - Eghan

Taxis and other smaller commercial vehicles would be phased out from the central business districts when the government's proposed mass transportation project takes off next year, Mr. Ben Eghan, Chief Director of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, said on Monday.

Mr Eghan told the GNA in an interview in Accra that smaller commercial vehicles would be replaced with big buses, which would operate from specific terminals and interconnecting points, through designated routes at specific times.

"Most of the current transport terminals would change and the smaller commercial vehicles would serve as a feeder transport system to bring passengers from remote areas and city enclaves to bus terminals," he said.

He was speaking after he opened a two-week regional refresher course on decentralisation and planning for about 40 members of the Institute of Housing and Urban Development (IHS) on behalf of Mr Felix Owusu-Adjapong, Minister of Transport and Communications.

Mr Eghan said the project is intended to decongest the cities and ensure that smaller commercial vehicles do not compete with the big buses.

He said apart from private and goods vehicles, all other commercial vehicles would be confined to the city enclaves, adding that the programme will be implemented in conjunction with all stakeholders in the transport sector on strictly business and commercial basis.

Mr Eghan said discussion is currently going on between the government and some private sector investors on that project and all the transport unions would be duly consulted when the time comes.

Under the project, he said private investors would be assisted by the government to obtain loans at concessionary rates to run the big buses, adding, "we are not going to encourage soft loans and guarantees any longer." He announced that there are also plans to repair the Accra-Tema rail line.

"Another rail line would be laid from the coast to up north to ensure effective transportation network," he said. "This is a necessary pre-requisite to the attraction of heavy investment to the country."

In a speech read on his behalf, Mr. Owusu-Adjapong said linked with the effort to decongest the cities is a plan to provide an additional one million telephone lines country-wide.

He said currently there are only 215,498 fixed telephone lines backed by mobile services to some 152,850 subscribers.

Mr. Owusu-Adjapong said Accra alone needs about 500,000 lines by the close this year, adding that from the rate at which services are being provided, it appears unlikely to achieve the target.