Staffan Tillander (right) receiving a gift from Ismael Ashitey
The Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive (GAPTE), managers of
the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), aka Ayalolo, says it is stepping up its operations.
The GAPTE said they would resume operations on the Adenta, Dawenya
and Tema Community 1 routes from September.
The transport system has already resumed its operations on Amasaman,
Ofankor, Pokuase and Achimota to Tudu routes.
Charles Annan, Depot Manager at GAPTE, said on Friday that the
deployment is starting from the 2nd of September, saying “you will
see the Ayalolo buses from Adenta to CBD, Dawenya through the motorway to the CBD
and Tema Community 1 through the beach road to the CBD.”
He told journalists during a courtesy call by the Swedish Ambassador
to Nigeria and Ghana, Staffan Tillander, to the Greater Accra Regional
Minister, Ismael Ashitey, in Accra that some 185 buses had been procured solely
for the transport system.
“From September to December, all the Ayalolo buses that are parked
at Achimota need to be deployed and the board of the GAPTE has approved that
they be deployed,” he said.
Regional Minister Mr. Ashitey expressed disappointment that the
project which aimed at making public transport more convenient to residents of
Accra had to be shut down.
He said the Regional Coordinating Council is open to discussion on
how to actively involve metropolitan municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) in
the region to revamp the transport system.
Ambassador Tillander, in his remarks, called on stakeholders to work
assiduously to ensure that the BRT system is fully operational again.
Management of the company on October 25, 2018 announced a suspension
of its operations because of technical challenges.
Lack of routes to allow for the free movement of Ayalolo buses under
the BRT in Accra was one of the main reasons for the suspension of the bus
service, according to the Ministry of Transport.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
