NRC/SMC ERA
Gen. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong established the Neoplan Assembly Plant at Abrepo, Kumasi with a strategic service station at Achimota, Accra. The German spiced Kumasi Plant was in place in a record time of six (6) months, oh yes, with military precision, aka, “bosome nsia pe3”.
The plant churned out a number of Neoplan species – N 308, 309, 311, 312, 314, 412, 414 and double decker brands for both private and public transport. I must say that the N 412 & 414 and double deckers were specifically tailored for public transportation via the defunct Omnibus Service Authority, (OSA).
OSA was a household name in both the inter and intra city transport mix, competing healthy with the private transport sector. OSA’s departure and arrival times were apt with a variation of five minutes plus or minus, thus one could plan his/her schedule ahead and within the context of OSA time schedule.
Nor was it all for the buses for intra and inter were distinct per their seating arrangements. That of the intra had few seats with a wide space for standing, supported appropriately. I must add that at peak periods, the N 412 and 414 could ferry over 100 and 120 commuters respectively at a go.
The Neoplan buses were complimented by Willowbrook buses, another British spiced motor Assembly plant whose activities was restricted mainly to the Greater Accra enclave.
I must add that the average population of Ghana was hovering around 10.3 million with Accra not extending beyond Legon/Madina to the East, Dansoman to the West and Old Barrier, Ofankor, to the North. (Note the figure well as l shall revisit it later)
HILLA LIMANN ERA
Save the seemingly poor road network nationwide, the nation lacked not, adequate buses on our intra cities roads.
Notwithstanding, Limann appointed Transport Minister, late Harry Sawyerr, thought outside the box and brought in hundreds of high occupancy robust TATA buses from India.
He labeled them, Green, Blue and Red lines. The Blue line was specifically tailored for intra city services as one could discern from the seating arrangements, which had enough space for standing.
The Green lines were for rural – urban shuttle with a compartment designed for the carriage of goods. It was a delight seeing these buses crisscrossing our road networks.
And this happened when Ghana’s population was approximately 12 million.
FALLOUTS OF NRC/SMC & LIMANN INTERVENTION IN PUBLIC ROAD TRANSPORT
After the aforementioned buses had spent their useful lifespan, scrapped or consigned to eternity for whatever reason(s), the private sector sprang on them like vultures on carcasses and with the ingenuity of Ghanaian mechanics, especially those stationed at Suame magazine and Kokompe in Kumasi and Accra respectively, they “reset” these buses which was a timely intervention in both the inter and intra transport equation.
Scrapped Neoplan buses bounded back on the road and filled in the gap in intercity conundrum especially on the Kumasi-Accra-Tamale routes, thus the name Neoplan station at Nkrumah Interchange in Accra. This was spearheaded by notable personalities such as the late Mussah of Suame magazine fame, Messrs Francis Owusu (9090) and Mobil Oil Annor, Anyway, Adams, Great Change and Agadass, among others.
In Accra, “rejuvenated” Harry Sawyerr’s TATA, Neoplan and Willowbrook buses filled the intra city transport space with names like Odorkor based “yellow, yellow” King of Kings Transport (KKT) coming on board. I cannot just mention KKT in passing without recapping some of the funny and thought provoking inscriptions on their buses such as THIS MAN, PEOPLE LIKE THESES, NO BIG ENGLISH HERE, FEAR WOMAN and HOME SENSE etc.
As I pen this piece, there are remnants thereof dutifully traversing the Kasoa, Kaneshie, Central Business District (CBD), Kingsway routes in the capital, Accra. Yah, some forty years plus, these TATA buses are still kicking.
Flowing therefrom, I am advocating that the State resource and or partner transport entities as O & A Transport, charge them to help address intra city transport challenges. I believe they possess the wherewithal and shall deliver given the requisite push for the benefit of all Ghanaians.
KUFOUR ERA
The Busia/Danquah tradition is notorious for its penchant for renaming everything in sight, thus “recapitulated” OSA to Metro Mass Transit (MMT).
Admittedly it did quite well boosting the fleet with high occupancy robust DAF buses and some second hand buses from Italy/Spain to compound our already polluted cities. This brought some relief and life therein.
Perhaps, the only snag was the addition of some TATA brand buses to the fleet. These TATA buses, I suspect, were mass produced and considered without recourse to our local terrain. Unlike Harry Sawyer’s TATA buses, these buses could not cope with our terrain vis-a-vis, our non-existent maintenance culture and soon frizzed out.
The mother of all the sins of this administration was the importation of Right Hand Drive (RHD) double decker buses into the country contrary to law. If you care to know, this act of omission and commission by the Kufuor administration opened the floodgates for everything on wheels to be imported into the country including the controversial killer RHD Toyota Voxy, which has since become an albatross in the road safety equation.
ENTER, JOE NIKPE & HIS DEPUTY
The responses to questions by the duo during their Parliamentary vetting portend danger and what Ghanaians were expected to expect from the Transport Ministry in the years following.
Their ineptitude, which is unparalleled has been compounded by the addition of the rail and aviation sectors to their portfolio – they know next to nothing and believe, they are not taking wise counsel from the technocrats either epitomized in going to Egypt without an Expert from the Standards Authority (GSA).
29 SEATER ISUZU BUSES
To start with, in this era of green energy aroma gaining currency in public transportation worldwide, I am indeed at a complete loss as to what informed the duo to go in for fossil fuel buses? Oh yes, the Deputy was seen busily hovering around the buses with her entourage in Egypt, which included not a single soul from the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA). No wonder when they were pushed to the wall after weeks of non-commissioning of same, they had the temerity to tell the tax payer the buses were going through certification or whatever, whatever it meant.
Next in line is the origin of the buses, Egypt. I will not pontificate too much on this, but want to ask the duo if they checked and apprised themselves with the performance of same Isuzu buses imported from Egypt some few years back – one can hardly find one on our streets whilst these 40 plus years old TATA buses are at the forefront of transport on the Kaneshie CBD stretch in Accra.
The most “unkindness cut” of it all is the seating capacity of the Isuzu buses – TWENTY NINE SEATER, wao !!
If in the 70/80s when Ghana’s population was not more than 12 million and Accra did not extend beyond Madina, our forefathers considered high occupancy and double decker buses with seating capacities well over 80 persons, it stands to reason that there is something fundamentally wrong with the thinking of the duo who are at the helm of affairs at the Transport Ministry – importing 29’seater buses at this crucial time of our transportation challenges. To put it bluntly, it simply does not make sense in every sense of the word.
Scores of commuters are lined up daily awaiting means of transport to and from work and the least the duo could do was to acquire these small buses, which will not solve the transportation challenges of teeming commuters.
AWARDS
And to the so-called Awarders of awards, or to put them in their proper place, Attention Seekers (AS), did you factor the number of stranded commuters lined up daily on the Kingsway, Kaneshie and Kasoa (KKK) stretch among others before considering Hon. Dorcas Affo-Toffey for an award?
As King of Kings Transport aptly captures it on one of its yellow buses years back, PEOPLE LIKE THESE. Yes, you are the people who unsolicitedly continually throw dust into the eyes of gullible and susceptible Ghanaians, thus depriving them of making informed choices and decisions – PLEASE STOP THAT..
CHIEF OF STAFF SIT UP, IF THOU ART IN DEEP SLUMBER
And to the Chief of Staff, if he cares to know and is hereby put on active notice – He should shine his eyes, take keen interest on whatever goes around the duo and stop these “distractors” from derailing the modest gains made.
Again, he must be mindful of the fact that easy, cheap and safer means of transport to and from work and indeed to every nook and cranny of the country, is a key determinant in who leads us on and after January 7, 2029.
A word to the wise, remains with John at BOLE.
I Rest my Fractured Peace.
Written by Osei Kwabena Esq., Etia Street, Asante Effiduase
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