Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has assured the public that the government is fully aware of the ongoing transport challenges and is taking steps to address them.

She gave the assurance at a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Local Government, and stakeholders in the transport sector on Friday, January 16.

Speaking at the meeting, the Vice President said the government recognises the difficulties commuters are facing, including congestion, long queues at terminals and the high cost of transport.

“Sometimes, the problem is caused by all kinds of situations, including even exploitation by some of our own drivers, long queues at bus stops and terminals, congestion and all kinds of stress that come with the situation,” she said.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said that the situation is a shared national concern that requires collective action.

“We want our fellow countrymen and women to be aware that government is not blind to the situation, that we have not seen and we don’t care. We don’t think it is somebody’s problem; it is everybody’s problem. That is why I started by saying that we need to team up to find the solutions.”

The Vice President announced that government will provide support to both public and private transport operators through the supply of new high-occupancy buses to help ease the pressure on the system.

She said President John Mahama has directed that urgent steps be taken to strengthen existing transport services.

“His Excellency has asked me to assure all of you that he will give support to Metro Mass, Aayalolo and the private sector with new high-occupancy buses in order to augment the services in the medium term,” she said.

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang further revealed that government will prioritise the rehabilitation of buses that are currently off the road due to mechanical faults.

“We also have plans to ensure that those that need to be repaired, the processes will be expedited to ensure they can put more buses on the road as soon as possible,” she added.

Her comments come at a time when many commuters across the country are struggling to access commercial transport, a situation that has resulted in overcrowding, extended waiting times, and, in some cases, fare hikes.