Revive Aayalolo, but make it work

The call by the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Mahama Ayariga, for the revival of the Aayalolo Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system could not have come at a more appropriate time.

Accra’s traffic situation has become a daily source of frustration for motorists, commercial drivers, passengers and businesses.

 Hours are lost in traffic, fuel is wasted and productivity suffers.

 Yet, sitting alongside the congested roads is a public transport system that was designed, in part, to help address precisely this problem.

The question, therefore, is not whether Accra needs a more efficient mass transit system. It clearly does.

 The real question is whether the authorities are prepared to give Aayalolo the institutional support, discipline and operational efficiency required to make it work.

Mr Ayariga’s proposal to dedicate one lane of major roads to Aayalolo buses during peak periods deserves serious consideration.

If properly designed and enforced, such a system could give public transport the advantage it needs to move large numbers of people quickly, rather than allowing buses carrying dozens of passengers to sit helplessly in the same traffic as private cars.

The suggestion that personnel of the Motor Traffic and Transport Directorate (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service could lead the buses during peak periods is also worth examining. But this must be done within a clear traffic-management framework.

A dedicated lane that is routinely occupied by private vehicles, taxis or other motorists will defeat the purpose from the outset.

The experience with Aayalolo so far shows that infrastructure alone does not create an effective BRT system.

The buses must be available, routes must be properly managed, schedules must be reliable and the travelling public must have confidence that choosing Aayalolo will actually get them to their destinations faster and more conveniently.

The revelations about buses being deployed outside Accra without proper authorisation are particularly troubling.

According to the management of the Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive (GAPTE), 60 of the 245 buses were sent to the Ashanti Region in 2018, while another 10 were sent to Takoradi.

Such decisions raise legitimate questions about institutional control and accountability.

 Public assets acquired for a particular transport strategy cannot simply be moved around without proper authority, especially when the agency responsible for their operation is struggling with inadequate vehicles.

It is encouraging that GAPTE has since identified the 60 buses and brought them under its management, with revenue from their operations in Kumasi accruing to the agency.

 The reported repair of more than 48 buses, in addition to the 80 inherited by the current management, is also a positive development.

But repairs and recovery of buses must be accompanied by a broader plan.

The government should resist the temptation to treat Aayalolo as merely a bus fleet. It is a public transport system and should be managed as such.

That means reliable routes, functioning terminals, proper ticketing, regular maintenance, effective scheduling, passenger information and strong enforcement of dedicated lanes.

There must also be a clear financial model. Mr Ayariga believes that making the buses move rapidly could improve profitability and reduce fuel costs.

That argument makes sense, but profitability should not be pursued at the expense of accessibility.

The fundamental purpose of public transport is to provide affordable and dependable mobility to the public.

The proposal for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to invest in Aayalolo is therefore important. But such investment should be guided by clearly defined responsibilities and measurable outcomes.

Assemblies should know what they are investing in, what benefits their residents will receive and how the money and assets will be accounted for.

Above all, the proposed revival requires coordination. The Ministries responsible for local government, transport, roads, interior and finance, the police, MMDAs and GAPTE cannot work in isolation.

Accra’s transportation problem is too complex for fragmented solutions.

We also believe the public must be brought into the conversation. Commuters know where the system fails them.

Their experiences should inform route planning, timetables, terminal locations and service standards.

Aayalolo has already consumed public resources. The sensible course is not to abandon it, but to learn from its shortcomings and fix what went wrong.

Accra cannot continue to build more roads while allowing public transport systems to underperform.

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