The Government of Ghana has prioritised revamping the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL) with the acquisition of new buses in its 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy.
The move was captured in the budget estimates of the Ministry of Transport, the sector Ministry under which MMTL operates as an Agency.
At a plenary sitting on Wednesday, December 15, 2021 an estimated budgetary allocation of GH₵921,843,000.00 was approved for the Ministry of Transport and its subvented Agencies to execute their programs and projects for the 2022 fiscal year.
Out of the amount approved, GH₵694,351,000 will be used by the Transport Ministry to finance assets where it is projected that hundreds of new buses will be procured to revamp MMTL and other private sector operators.
A deputy Minister of Transport, Hassan Tampuli, who moved the motion on behalf of the sector Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, for the approval of the Transport Ministry’s budget estimates amounting to GH₵921,843,000 told Parliament that the move by government will help “improve transportation services in the country”.
The remaining amount, he noted, will be used to finance goods and services and to pay compensation, among others.
It is not clear the number of buses government intends to procure to revamp the public-private transporter.
However, in September, 2021 the Managing Director of Metro Mass Transit Limited, Mr. Albert Adu Boahen told journalists that his outfit expects to receive 300 fleet of buses by the end of the first quarter of 2022 to revamp its operations.
He said in order for MMTL to operate at optimal level and improve on its profit, the 200 fleet of buses currently in operation needs to be increased to over 900.
By Stephen Odoi-Larbi
