Delays hit bus rapid transit route in project to cut journey times in Ghana's capital

Delays to the consruction of dedicated lanes for a bus rapid transit system route planned to connect Ghana's capital of Accra with Adenta mean a new terminal's buses will initially use existing roads, it has been reported.

The Ministry of Transport in Ghana said work on the lanes for one part of the BRT system will begin next month, after its terminal is completed, it was reported, quoting the Minister of Transport Kweku Ofori Asiamah as saying: "From the analysis I'm getting from the consultant, we can still put this terminal to use by letting the buses [to Adenta] ply existing roads." The Government of Ghana would open the terminal once the contractor hands over the terminal at the end of the month, the quote adds.

The scheme is being implemented under the Urban Transport Project funded by the World Bank, Agence Francaise de Development, the Government and Global Environment Facility Trust Fund at a cost of $95m. It launched the BRT system's start of operations last year, in a project to bring 245 new buses to connect Accra with a number of towns, Adenta, Amasaman, Ofankor, Tema and Kasoa, alongside a cash-free ticketing system and training for 600 bus drivers to the capital, working with Scania. 

The Ghana project comes after the World Bank recently praised the Nigerian city of Lagos for "transforming lives" with its BRT, the first in Africa, reducing journey times from 45 to 30 minutes for over 200,000 daily commuters.