A four-member delegation from The Gambia Transport Service Company (GTSC) on Sunday, March 3, 2024 arrived in Ghana to understudy Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL), a state-owned transport service provider.
They were received at the Head Office of MMTL on Monday, March 4, 2024, by its Managing Director, Albert Adu Boahen. The delegation was led by the Board Chairman of GTSC, Mr. Saloum Malang.
The other members were Mr. Seedy Kanyi, Managing Director, GTSC, Mr. Amadou Drammeh, Head of Traffic Operations, GSTC and Mr. Mustapha B. Colley, Corporate Planning Manager, GSTC.
During their five-working day study tour, the delegation interacted with the Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Board Chairman, MMTL, Kofi Ahenkorah Marfo (MP), Managing Director of MMTL, Mr. Albert Adu Boahen and the Deputy Managing Director, MMTL in charge of Finance and Administration, Richard Yangfo.
They also interacted with the top management staff at the Finance, IT, Traffic Operations and Corporate Planning Departments of MMT to learn best practices in their day-to-day activities.
Mr. AduBoahen in his welcome remarks urged The Gambian delegation to make good use of their study tour to MMTL in order to justify the resources that have been spent on them by their government.
He said Ghana and The Gambia are two inseparable countries, assuring the delegation that the doors of MMTL are always opened to welcome them and any of GTSC staff they would assign to Metro Mass Transit Limited for further studies.
“It is a privilege to welcome you to MMTL. The timing of your coming is apt as it has coincided with a number of technological reforms we are executing to revamp our operations. Metro Mass is at the core of the heart of the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Vice-President, His Excellence Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. They are giving us all the necessary support to provide an efficient transport service to the public.
“Our green initiatives being spearheaded by the Vice-President are superb and would urge you take keen interest in them since they will help GSTC to provide the best of transport services to the Gambian travelling public while generating the needed revenue to sustain the business”, he noted.
Mr. Adu Boahen then took the delegation round to inspect some of the facilities of Metro Mass Transit Limited for them to have first-hand information about these facilities. Among the areas visited include the operations room of the recently launched ‘Tap n Go’ card, a multi-functional, cross-utility card to access and pay for public transport services, the workshop department and the Kaneshie bus terminal.
He also led the delegation to inspect some of their newly acquired robust VDL buses designed purposely for the rugged Ghanaian road networks.
The Board Chairman of GSTC, Mr. Malang, in his remarks after concluding their study tour said “Our coming here is very timely and is very important. It has given us more ideas to our operations. What we have seen here is in line with what we do in The Gambia.
“I thought what we have back home was the best. However, after coming here, I have learned that we have to continue to improve since Metro Mass Transit Limited is far ahead”.
The Managing Director of GSTC, Mr. Seedy Kanyi, also commenting on their study tour said lauded the Board and Management of Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL) for the innovative ideas they have introduced to turn around the struggling state-owned transport company.
According to him, the reforms being pursued by MMTL that are driven by technology are so groundbreaking that they have provided a complete solution to the dire needs of MMTL.
“I was here in 2015 and I am here again. What I learned in 2015 is completely different from what I have witnessed today. Every business has its ups and downs and I know Metro Mass had had its fair share of the downs.
“But from what I saw during our visit within the past five days, Metro Mass is rising and things seems to be stabilizing. I am very impressed with the zeal and drive that the MD exhibited. I have every hope that they will succeed”, said the General Manager of GSTC, Seedy Kanyi.
From Stephen Odoi-Larbi
