Kwabena Adu Koranteng Writes
Ghana is facing a deepening public transport crisis, and government must take full responsibility and act urgently to ease the growing hardship on the general public.
There is an undeniable breakdown in the transport sector, particularly within the capital city. The shortage of public buses has become alarming. Every morning, workers, traders, and students are forced to wait endlessly or join long queues at lorry stations and along major roads before they can access transportation to their usual places of work and business.
The situation worsens during the evening rush hour. Ghanaians returning from markets, offices, and commercial centres are routinely seen standing helplessly by the roadside, struggling to secure a vehicle home. This daily ordeal has become the new normal, and it is unacceptable.
Public transport is clearly insufficient, yet government appears indifferent. One is left to wonder whether Ghana still has a Minister for Transport, Roads, or Highways. The silence and inaction are troubling. This state of affairs is not only terrible—it is absurd. Ghanaians are suffering needlessly.
Available information indicates that about 80 percent of the Metro Mass Transit (MMT) fleet has broken down, while many of the remaining buses are in poor and unreliable condition. This collapse has placed unbearable pressure on private transport operators and commuters alike.
Instead of accepting responsibility and outlining clear short-, medium-, and long-term solutions, some government officials have resorted to blaming previous administrations. This approach is both irresponsible and insulting to citizens who are bearing the brunt of the crisis every single day.
Leadership demands solutions, not excuses.
Government must immediately declare a state of emergency in the public transport sector and take decisive action. This should include the urgent procurement of additional buses to reinforce the existing fleet, rehabilitation of broken-down vehicles, and a comprehensive policy framework to prevent a recurrence of this crisis.
Public transport is not a luxury; it is a necessity. When it collapses, productivity declines, stress levels rise, and the cost of living increases. The longer government delays, the deeper the suffering of ordinary Ghanaians.
The time for shifting blame is over. The time to act is now.
Kwabena Adu Koranteng writes.
