The Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu has said that government is committed to addressing the transportation challenges faced by residents of Accra.
He said while the government is concerned and willing to address the difficulties, it cannot take over the entire management of the sector.
“Trotros have played a key role in our transport system over the years. Government cannot fully take over public transport,” he said on TV3’s The KeyPoints on January 17.
He added that “public transportation is important, so government will invest.”
Mr Ofosu said this while contributing to discussions on challenges facing commuters in Accra.
Contributing to the same topic, a finance lecturer at the University of Ghana, Prof Godfred Bokpin, has painted a grim picture of daily life for urban workers, many of whom wake up as early as 3:00am just to get to work on time.
He said the kind of daily routine that commuters in Accra practice, could have serious health implications on their lives.
“Some people sleep less than four hours every day,” he said on the KeyPoints on TV3 on January 17.
“If you continue like that, your body will give up. The health implications are serious,” Prof Bokpin stressed.
He added that many workers arrive at the office too exhausted to function immediately.
“They need time to cool down before they can even start working. This has been going on for years, but it has become more pronounced,” he said.
While calling for patience, Prof. Bokpin stressed that government must be honest with citizens about how long economic reforms take to reflect in daily life.
“You cannot talk about economic transformation without infrastructure,” he said. “Transportation is the foundation.”
Prof. Bokpin argued that Ghana must be bold in investing in infrastructure, even if it temporarily raises debt levels.
“I will support government if they say we want to close the infrastructure gap fast, even if debt-to-GDP goes up,” he said. “As long as we get value for money and invest properly.”
He attributed the transport crisis to years of poor planning, weak forecasting and massive infrastructure deficits, especially in transport connectivity, have left Ghanaians struggling daily, despite repeated claims of economic progress.
“What Ghanaians have been going through for years is a clear reflection of lack of planning,” he said on January 17.
“We have not taken time to analyse our rush hours, our travel patterns, and deploy targeted interventions.”
Prof. Bokpin linked Ghana’s worsening traffic situation, long travel times and daily commuter stress to a broader failure to invest adequately in transport infrastructure.
He explained that travel between key urban corridors has become extremely restrictive, affecting productivity and quality of life.
“If you look at the travel time when people close from work, it tells you how limited their mobility is,” he noted.
“Essentially, we have left Ghanaians to fate. If you survive, fine. Otherwise, it’s your own problem.”
He warned that this inefficiency is not just inconvenient but economically destructive.
“When movement is restricted, economic activity suffers. This is inefficiency, and it is the reason why macro-level progress is not translating into better lives,” he said.
