The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) will soon introduce a new regulatory regime for transport operations within the metropolis, the KMA Chief Executive, Samuel Sarpong, has announced.
Under this new regulatory, the assembly has passed urban passenger transport services bye-laws to regulate passenger transport operations in the city.
Speaking at a media sensitization program in Kumasi, Mr Sarpong quoting the local government Act 462 said all assemblies were mandated to plan and regulate urban transportation within their jurisdiction.
He said the assemblies were the regulatory authorities and therefore had the mandate to regulate transport service activities, including local transport policy and planning, pass bye-laws, set up units to plan, register, enforce, license, and monitor public transport operations.
It is also to collaborate with other assemblies to provide fair and efficient travel environment.
“By this new regulation, the transport operator will continue his role as a player while the assemblies assume its legal role as the referee,” the mayor said.
The government of Ghana secured a grant of US$96 million from the World Bank and the AFD about three years ago for the implementation of the urban transportation project through the 10 main metropolises in the country.
The five year project is expected to reduce the long travel times, unavailable terminals and bus stops, pollution arising from vehicular emissions and limited regulation of transport services bedeviling the metropolises.
He announced that the assembly has also established Urban Passenger Transport Units (UPTU) to, among other things, establish and implement procedures for operation of urban transport services within its jurisdiction and monitor compliance of the guidelines and enforce urban passenger transport services with conditions as contained in the permit.
The KMA mayor said extensive sensitization exercises have been carried out with the operators with the objective of educating them about the reforms.
Consultations, he continued, had taken place with several unions at different levels to help the transition into the new reforms, adding that they had also embarked on a number of public education activities through the media.
Noting that the KMA had a vision of providing affordable, safe and efficient urban transportation system that supports the overall development and competitiveness of the city, Mr Sarpong called on media personnel, whom he described as partners, to assist the assembly improve the city for the benefit of all residents and travelers passing through.
The Kumasi Project Coordinator, Mr Mike Obeng Manu, said the project had four major components which are institutional and engineering, integration of urban transportation with urban planning, reducing transport related greenhouse emissions and eventual introduction of a bus running system.
He wondered why there was regulation everywhere but transport service operators had been left on their own without any, adding that if the system on Kumasi roads was not changed in two years, the roads would be choked and that would cost the nation five times the amount needed today to solve it.
STORY: FROM JAMES APPIAKORANG JNR. & ENOCH AKONNOR, KUMASI
