An Urban Planning Expert, Dr Bernard Abeiku Arthur has pointed out that the city’s transport woes can be attributed to unallocated funds for critical projects and the abandonment of plans and policies in the sector.
Dr. Arthur emphasized that managing Accra’s transport system is not inherently difficult; the real challenge lies in the lack of enforcement of policies, insufficient allocation of funds for vital projects, and a persistent gap between planning and implementation.
Dr Arthur stressed that a functional urban transport system is essential for any city’s economic well-being, likening it to the heart of a city.
He added that neglecting transport infrastructure can severely hamper economic activities.
“Accra is not that difficult to manage in terms of urban transport. It is three things that have been worrying us. We have been planning and planning and planning, we have not been implementing.
We have been putting measures in place but we are not enforcing and ensuring that the right things are followed. We have been planning and not adding money where we are supposed to put money to ensure that the systems are running.”
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“Transport is like the heart of every city or every town. If you shut transport or shut energy you grind an economy completely. And we’ve been planning, we’ve been talking about rails, we’ve been talking about non-motorised transport but we are not putting money and efforts and enforcement where we are supposed. That is what is worrying us,” he stated.
Agyei Boateng, a Transport System Engineer, added that Ghana currently has an informal transport system and highlighted the importance of transitioning to a formal, highly regulated transport service.
Such a formal system, Mr Boateng said, would provide passengers with reliable schedules and operational efficiency, ensuring that they can rely on public transport.
Meanwhile, the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Blue Line System, in Nigeria, has finally begun its long-awaited commercial operations, 40 years after the idea for a metro line for the state was conceived.
The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, became the first passenger to ride on the train during its inaugural trip as operations began on Monday.
