The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) is planning to introduce what it described as the city’s first metro transport system, starting with electric buses to operate on major routes at low fares to ease traffic congestion during peak hours, the Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has announced.
The Mayor, who disclosed the plan in an interview after an engagement with the leadership of spare parts dealers at Abossey Okai on Tuesday, said the AMA’s electric bus programme would provide a cheaper, cleaner and more reliable public transport option for commuters while the city advances broader mass-transit reforms.
He said the move was informed by what city authorities described as a deepening mobility crisis, with Accra recording about 2.77 billion trips annually, including an estimated 1.91 billion car trips in the core area, adding that the city centre’s daytime population was about 2.98 million within 247 square kilometres.
According to him the pressure on the roads had created daily delays and productivity losses, noting that the city’s road network carried about 15.9 billion vehicle kilometres every year, with residents routinely losing valuable time in traffic.
He said the planned electric buses would form part of a wider strategy to rebalance road use in favour of public transport, stressing that while about 70 per cent of trips in Accra were made by public transport, road space still largely benefited private car users.
The Mayor said the AMA’s vision was to build a “modern, mobile Accra” where residents could move freely, reach destinations on time and breathe cleaner air, adding that improving transport was ultimately about quality of life and a more competitive city economy.
He also used the engagement to appeal to commercial drivers and operators to reduce transport fares, arguing that recent reductions in fuel and spare parts prices should translate into lower costs for passengers.
Beyond the initial bus roll-out, the Mayor indicated that the AMA’s longer-term mass transit plan prioritised strategic investment in high-capacity systems for the most congested corridors in the city centre.
Henry Okyere, Chairman of the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Association, said the Mayor’s plan to introduce a city-owned metro transport system was a positive step, describing the Mayor’s engagement with the spare parts enclave over the year as “excellent” and impactful.
Mr. Okyere said the government’s interventions had also helped stabilise prices and restore confidence among traders and importers, noting that the strengthening of the cedi had made it easier for importers to bring in goods.
He said the improvement in the exchange rate had had a direct effect on prices in the spare parts market, citing what he described as significant reductions in the cost of key items adding that batteries previously sold for about GH¢1,700 were now selling for about GH¢1,200, with some going for GH¢1,000, while engine oil that used to sell for about GH¢600 had dropped to about GH¢350.
He pointed out that engines he once sold for GH¢15,000 were now going for about GH¢10,000, insisting that “prices have dropped” across many categories, including headlights and shock absorbers, particularly for brands and models such as Toyota Vitz vehicles commonly used for ride-hailing services.
Source: AMA