Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Julius Debrah has said the first phase of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project is expected to commence in December 2014.
He said this at the inauguration of the Board of the Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive (GAPTE) in Accra. The Board will be responsible for the planning, regulation and coordination of public transport services in the Greater Accra region.
According to the minister, even though the project was anticipated to begin in July this year, certain challenges hampered it.
He was optimistic that the setting up of the board will hasten the implementation of the BRT.
The Regional Minister disclosed that the government is in the process of acquiring 86 new buses from Brazil for the purpose.
“Some of the private operators are in Brazil to inspect how it is done and they will go through the process of acquiring some buses,” he explained.
Mr. Debrah indicated that the country is “quite close to the starting period so we need to have the team that will oversee its implementation. So it will no longer be about talking but it’s now about walking the talk.”
The BRT is being implemented under the Urban Transport Project (UTP) to deliver fast and affordable transportation for commuters in Accra and Kumasi.
The UTP is being jointly funded by the World Bank, Agence Francaise de Development (AFD), the Government of Ghana, and the Global Environment Facility trust Fund at the cost of $95 million.
Business World (with notes from citifmonline)