Former Member of Parliament for Okaikwei North, Alhaji Fuseini Issah, has called for a comprehensive overhaul of Ghana’s urban transport system, arguing that dialogue alone will not resolve the persistent shortage of commercial buses in major cities.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Thursday, January 15, he urged the government to shift from meetings with transport unions to creating a structured and enabling environment that addresses the root causes of inefficiencies in the sector.
He stressed the need for a deliberate review of urban transportation, noting that private sector participation must be properly rationalised within a clear and coordinated system. According to him, the challenges confronting the sector are systemic and require a holistic approach rather than piecemeal engagements.
Mr. Issah questioned the effectiveness of repeated consultations with transport operators, warning that such discussions would not, on their own, resolve the recurring problem of bus scarcity, particularly during peak hours in urban centres.
“I think it is not the case of the government going to sit with GPRTU. I think we need to create an enabling environment. We need to sit down and relook at urban transportation and have a system where private participation is rationalised.
“It is a holistic thing that we have to look at, but if we are saying we should meet up with people to discuss, I do not know how we are going to solve the problem of scarcity of buses,” he said.
His comments come at a time when the Minister of Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, has summoned officials of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and other commercial transport operators over allegations of artificial scarcity in the sector.
Authorities have raised concerns that some drivers deliberately reduce the availability of buses, especially during rush hours, in a bid to maximise profits, an issue that continues to frustrate commuters and intensify calls for lasting reforms in the transport system.
