The Minister of Transport and Member of Parliament for Saboba, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, has announced that buses to be acquired for the State Transport Company (STC) and Metro Mass Transit (MMT) in 2026 will be equipped with modern technology to improve oversight, transparency and revenue generation.

Mr Nikpe explained that the planned fleet expansion will be supported by a financing arrangement with the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), which will also underpin a shift towards automated revenue collection.

The move, he said, is intended to eliminate revenue leakages and strengthen operational efficiency at the two state-owned transport operators.

The Minister noted that ticketing and payment processes will be largely automated under the new system.

“With the Ghana Commercial Bank arrangement, all necessary payments will be automated. If someone buys a ticket, a portion of the amount will go directly to Ghana Commercial Bank,” he stated in an interview with Channel One TV.

He further disclosed that the buses will be fitted with tracking and monitoring technology capable of providing real-time data on operations.

According to him, this will allow managers to monitor bus movements, passenger numbers and overall performance at any given time.

The Minister added that electronic payment options, including bank cards and mobile money, will replace cash-based collections to improve accountability.

“Electronic payments will be encouraged so that it will no longer be about a collector holding cash without any clear record of what has been collected,” he said.

Mr Nikpe said the reforms have already boosted confidence in the transport companies’ operations, prompting GCB to support the acquisition of additional buses.

He explained that after conducting due diligence on the proposed reforms, the bank was satisfied with the sustainability of the programme and agreed to provide financial backing for the fleet expansion at both STC and Metro Mass Transit.