Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang held an emergency engagement at the Ministry of Transport this week on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama to address the growing disruptions facing intra-city commuters. The high-level meeting brought together the Ministers for Transport and Local Government, along with their deputies, and leadership from major transport unions, including the GPRTU, the Ghana Road Transport Coordination Council, and various driver associations.
The session was aimed at identifying the root causes of current transit challenges and establishing practical, long-term solutions to restore order and safety to the nation’s transport system.
During the discussions, stakeholders identified a decade-long lack of retooling and vehicle replacement as the primary driver of the current crisis, noting that the existing fleet has become severely depleted under the strain of a growing population. Transport unions highlighted that they have not received significant support for fleet expansion in years, a situation that has now reached a critical breaking point.
In response to these concerns, the Vice President announced that President Mahama has committed the government to a comprehensive retooling initiative, which will include the provision of new vehicles to modernize and expand transport services across Ghana.
The Vice President emphasized that the government is approaching the crisis with a sense of shared responsibility rather than blame, urging transport operators to reciprocate the state’s support by improving service standards. She called on the unions to take greater responsibility in monitoring their members to ensure that commuters are treated with dignity and fairness.
The engagement concluded with a pledge for continued cooperation between the Ministry of Transport and private associations, with the Vice President expressing confidence that decisive action and ongoing dialogue will lead to a lasting resolution for the commuting public.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
