Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, says the expansion of the Aayalolo Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) services is targeting private car owners and not trotro operators.
He says government expects the move to encourage more private motorists to leave their cars at home and use public transport, rather than undermine the operations of trotro drivers.
Speaking Sunday, September 28, 2026, ahead of government’s introduction of a pilot contra-flow arrangement for Aayalolo buses on major Accra corridors from today, Tuesday, September 29, the said the objective is to provide commuters with a faster, more reliable and comfortable alternative for travelling into Accra during peak periods.
He argued that improving the quality and predictability of public transport could persuade some motorists who currently drive alone to switch to mass transit.
According to the Minister, the continued demand for transport between communities and major destinations would leave room for trotro operators to serve commuters, even as Aayalolo services are expanded, and therefore rejected concerns that the new arrangement would collapse the commercial transport business.
“What I want to do is to actually take out the car owners who every morning, you’re standing by the roadside, they are going to work, and you see one person sitting in the car,” he said on Citi FM.
“If you gave them an alternative, which is a clean, you know, rapid transport system, a bus where he goes, he doesn’t have to sweat; he just stands. And in 15, 20 minutes, he is at Accra Central,” he added.
Mr Ayariga said fixed departure times would make it easier for commuters to plan their journeys, while maintaining that “there’s still a lot of work for transport stations in between the two far ends.”
The pilot arrangement covers the Amasaman–Accra, Adenta–Accra and Kasoa–Accra corridors during peak hours, with designated lanes reserved exclusively for Aayalolo services.
Aayalolo deploys 48 more buses to curb peak hour congestion in Accra
