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OVERCOMING THE TRANSPORTATION
MAZE
By Kweku Asare
Accra,March 18, Ghanadot.com -
TRANSPORTATION in Ghana is one of the major difficulties
that the citizens have had to battle with for as long as the
country has been independent and is one major source of loss
of productivity.
Osagyefo, Dr Kwame Nkrumah,the country's most adored first
president especially, and one or two more later governments
did their best to establish a durable transportation pattern
in the country especially in the 1960's up until some where
in the early to mid 1970's. Indeed, older people of about 70
years and abover can tell this story better!
In fact, as a child and guess many of you readers would bear
me out, there was the Ominibus Services Authority, known as
OSA. After the over- throw of Nkrumah's Convention People's
Party in 1966, the company consistently lost efficient
management practice and virtually died in the process.
In the late1980's the City
Express Services was introduced by the then Provisional
National Defence Council of Jerry John Rawlings to help in
easing the acute transportation difficulty of the time. The
City Express Services, similarly lost its purpose through
ineptitude, corruption and political patronage among others.
Thus, over 20 years or more, the spectre of people standing
by the streets and bus-stops,
not knowing when the next bus will arrive was more
than visible. This disturbed
officials who more often just paid lip service to the
matter. This created a situation where individuals in the
private sector took advantage of the situation by providing
"trotros" and some buses (especially for long distance
routes) to fill the void.
It was most refreshing when after taking office in 2001, the
new administration of John Agyekum Kufuor introduced the
Metro Mass Transit Service. To many of us it was most
welcomed having been introduced in a big way to London's
Underground and Transport Companies as well as the Metro
System in the United States. But it was not to be so. The
buses plied the same routes as any other bus company, owned
no route, and above all run with no schedules! This for many
made no difference and actually frustrated many.
When Ghanadot contacted the Metro Mass officials, they said
there were works in the mill and as the Ministry of
Transportation assured recently during one of its media
interactions "there were works in the mill."
Today, almost 8 years after, government has concluded an
agreement with Peatrack Company Limited, a local private
investment firm to start the construction of the first phase
of the long awaited Eastern Railway Lines.
The 1.4 million dollar project starts in June and would
stretch from Tema to Accra through
Nsawam, Nsawam to Nkawkaw to the Ejisu-Kumasi main line to
the Kumasi Suburban, Inland Port-Tema-Kumasi Corridor and
end at the Bususo-Kibbi Branch line.
This is an ambitious project, but officials say Peatrack
Limited was purposely established to construct and operate
the railway network in the country under a Public Private
Partnership for the Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT)
arrangement for a 35-year concessionary period.
The company will pay an annual concession fees of up to 3
per cent of its turnover to government during the operation
phase.
The agreement specified that the railway network would be
handed over to government at the end of the concessionary
period without any encumbrances.
The company is to wholly finance the project through paying
an entry fee of 27 million dollars part of which would be
used for the severance payments of current staff of the
Ghana Railway Company and for the acquisition of the
Corridor. This means that the company would have the right
to decide on schedules, routes and other operational
logistical issues.
Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Ports and Harbours,
signed for government and said Peatrack was bringing in the
funds and absorbing all the risks, and asked Ghanaians to
give their cooperation for its success.
One other thing came up during the signing, the call
on the media to allow the company to do its job,
without unduly interfering in its operations and
publication of untruths as had
happened to other arrangements to get renowned railway
companies help develop a reliable railway transportation
network.
Dr Ebenezer Mireku, CEO of Peatrack argues
that they are anxious to start
business, saying the railway project would involve a dual
carriageway, electrified, standard gauge with
state-of-the-art technology comprising permanent way,
railway stations, depots, cargo handling equipment and basic
infrastructure for inland ports among other things.
NIT Holdings of Hong Kong, a professional assets holding and
management entity, he noted are providing the funds and the
construction of 1500 kilometre dual carriage over ten to 15
years.
The new railway network should be able to carry bulk cargo
such as minerals, transport containerized cargo and offer
safe and reliable urban interregional and international
transportation of passengers.
The company intends to construct
other lines to connect all the regional capitals within its
areas of operation.
But a few things need to be examined and critically
done to ensure that the company lives its life and more
importantly do the job for which it was established.
First, Peatrack Company Limited
must live its own life. It should
live a business life, not a political life.
By this its life would not only be lengthened, but
helped to grow strongly by the whole support that would make
it strong and acceptable to all. Besides, in the event of a
change of government, because it was founded and operated
soundly as a pure business entity, nobody can or would want
to change things or in the extreme case kill it.
Secondly, they should not play to the gallery. The company
must know that expectations for and of a sound
transportations system, especially
by rail, is extremely high. A few
companies in separate sectors are doing this and I will talk
about them soon. Their business should just be to get the
job done and thus endear them to all shades of Ghanaians!
Finally, government must do well to stay out of this
business. As the President said during his inauguration on
January 7, 2001, "it is not the business of government to be
in business! Therefore, government must leave Peatrack
Company Limited to do its job. and we shall all see if the
job is being done well.
Anyway, do we have the track record of this company as a
credible one in this business?
Kweku Asare, Accra, March 18, 2007, Ghanadot.com
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