THE transport sector remains critical to the economic fortunes of any country and governments all over the world contribute significant resources to develop that sector.
Many economic activities thrive better when there is an effective transport system and good transport facilities to ferry goods and services from one place to another.
The importance of transportation to enhanced productivity can also not be glossed over. In many parts of the country, particularly the capital city, commuters eager to get to work on time have to endure intense bouts of heckling as they fight for places on public transport, popularly known as ‘trotro’.
Most workers strive to own private vehicles because of the ineffective public transportation system, and that in turn contributes to the build-up of the bumper-to-bumper traffic on our major inner-city roads.
Models of effective public transport systems have been replicated in many developed countries and the result is that the institution of reliable public transport systems provides incentives for some commuters to join public transport, instead of riding in their private vehicles.
In Ghana, there is a history of public transport services, and while there is the potential to provide quality public transportation for the citizenry, there are still some bottlenecks that need to be addressed.
For instance, ever since the introduction of the Metro Mass Transit Service, patronage has been remarkable. However, there is no doubt that whereas there is a great demand for public transport services, the number of buses has simply been inadequate.
The launch of 490 Yutong buses by the Vice-President, Mr John Mahama, again demonstrates a commitment by all the key stakeholders that with the right attitude and investment, the country’s transportation challenges can be addressed.
The Vice-President could not have put it any better when he stated that the transport sub-sector formed a crucial part of the SME sector and was considered strategic to the growth of the Ghanaian economy.
While the DAILY GRAPHIC lauds the initiative by J. A. Plant Pool, with support from the government, the Stanbic Bank and other partners, we need to emphasise that without proper maintenance of the buses, the country cannot derive maximum benefits from them.
In that regard, it is refreshing to note that Yutong is working to establish its West African spare parts centre and assembly workshop in Ghana and the Vice-President has indicated that the government will support it in its efforts.
The DAILY GRAPHIC cannot hide its admiration for the role J. A. Plant Pool Limited has been playing in importing new buses with the view to improving commercial transportation in the country.
We also wish to implore the drivers who will be tasked to drive the buses to handle them with care and professionalism to help keep them on the road.
It may also be useful to introduce more training programmes for the drivers to ensure that they keep abreast of the electrical and mechanical workings of the buses in order to minimise vehicular breakdown as they transport passengers across the length and breadth of the country.
This is a worthy initiative and as much as possible efforts should be made to ensure that the buses operate at optimum levels to help ease the burden on commuters in the country.
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