Two Ministers of State yesterday participated in the celebration of the World Transport Day by boarding public transport to their offices in Accra. They did so to ascertain the needs of the masses who used public transport with the view to finding solutions to the problems in the transport sector.
The celebration formed part of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the national Road Safety Commission (NRSC) and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), held on the theme: �Road Safety is a shared and collective responsibility�, which was launched by the Vice-President, Mr John Mahama, on October 26, this year, in the Eastern Region.
The initiative was organised to educate the public on road safety issues to improve the transportation system in the country. Sharing her experiences, the Deputy Minister of Transport, Mrs. Dzifa Aku Attivor, told the Daily Graphic that she could remember using public transport for about 19 years before owning a vehicle.
She said she joined a �trotro� from Pig Farm through 37 to the Tema Station and walked to her office.
She noted that the bus she used lacked enough space for passengers to relax their legs and had protruding metals from seats which could cause injury to others. Mrs Attivor said when she asked the driver and his mater for the vehicle�s registration number, they could not provide it and described this as unusual.
Mrs Attivor also said the government was going to implement a Bus Rapid Transit programme on a pilot basis, starting from Mallam to Kasoa soon, to reduce the consumption of fuel and increase productivity. The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu, said the last time he used public transport was 15 years ago. He explained that the Public Transport Day was celebrated to remind policy makers of the challenges in the public transportation system.
Mr Gidisu said he joined a public transport from the Volta Region to Madina and another to the Tema Station and walked to his office, adding that he was not noticed by anyone in the bus until the media started calling to interview him. He also raised concerns about the uncomfortable features of some public buses, which need to be replaced to make public transport comfortable.
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