The crave by the people of Kumasi to enjoy comfortable and fast public transport has received a positive response with the take-off of a pilot of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
Three buses are being used for the pilot project on the Kumasi-Ejisu route. The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Osei Assibey Antwi , said the government had allocated 60 buses to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) for the full implementation of the BRT.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Kumasi last Friday, Mr Antwi said the BRT was part of a comprehensive transport policy which the assembly was bent on implementing for Ghana’s second biggest city.
He said the assembly was also in negotiations with some investors for the provision of public transport infrastructure for the BRT.
The MCE further disclosed that the KMA was pursuing plans to provide a cable car transport system which would be safe and swift for passengers to overcome the delays in traffic.
Town hall meeting
The well-attended town hall meeting was on the theme: “Building partnership with the people for sustainable development of the Kumasi City.”
It afforded the assembly the opportunity to highlight development priorities to engender grassroots participation in the decision making process towards the implementation of various government policies and programmes.
Key projects
The MCE said the assembly had planned for the execution of 178 projects this year and so far, 137 had been successfully completed explaining that the 41 projects that could not be implemented was due to inadequate funds and shortfalls in some of the releases received by the assembly,
Listing some of the key projects undertaken this year, Mr Antwi mentioned the construction of 25 footbridges over selected streams, renovation and the paving of the metro fire station, fencing of a court building, supply and installation of streetlights in Kumasi, construction of 10 mechanised boreholes, completion and furnishing of a new maternal and child health ward and the supply of furniture for 15 newly constructed basic schools in the metropolis.
Validation exercise
Mr Antwi pledged that there would be fairness in the allocation of shops at the new Kejetia Market.
In line with that, an 11-member oversight committee had been inaugurated to verify and validate all registered traders who formerly plied their trade at Kejetia to establish real occupancy and above all, ensure that the shops were given to those who legitimately deserved them.
Sanitation
As part of the Keep Kumasi Clean and Green Project, the MCE said thousands of tree seedlings had been planted and encouraged the people to help nurture them to maturity.
He appealed to the government to resume its subsidy payment in the management of the Otis Landfill since the assembly was unable to meet the huge costs, a development that had led to the contractor that was managing the site to abandon the place since May 2018.
Bantamahene impressed
The Bantamahene, Baffour Asare Owusu Amankwatia IV, who chaired the function, commended the KMA for organising the event as it would help the people to appreciate the efforts the assembly was making to move the development of Kumasi forward.
The Ghanaian Times
