The New Chairman for the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC), Mr. Ben Peperah Amoabeng, has described those opposing the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system as “nation wreckers and selfish”. The GPRTU has threatened a mass sit-down strike in the Greater Accra Region if its grievances concerning the BRT system were not addressed before the take-off. The GPRTU members say they see the BRT system as “a calculated attempt to stifle the private road transport sector, particularly, intra-city transport”. The chairman made these feelings known in an interview with Adom News amidst continual resistance to the operation of the new system. Mr. Peprah Amoabeng who doubles as Chairman for the Progressive Transport Owners association (PROTOA) however told Adom News that, the concerns by the GPRTU is baseless because the new system will rid the city of vehicular traffic jam and at the same time provide employment for drivers. Mr. Preprah Amoabeng further called on contractors working on the project to speed up the pace of work, so that commuters can be relieved of the hustle and bustle to and from work. Vice President John Mahama cut the sod for construction works on the project in the latter parts of 2010. The BRT is expected to service about 12,000 passengers during peak hours per direction of travel with bus frequencies of about 120 buses per hour at peak periods. It will serve a radial arterial route running from Kasoa in the Central Region through Malam and Kaneshie and terminate at the Central Business District in Accra. Between Kasoa and First Light at Kaneshie, the rapid buses would use the outer lanes whilst from Kaneshie to Accra the buses would use the median lanes. The project has been divided into phases and would last for about 18 months and the new system would be operational in 2012. Story by Kofi Adoma/Adom News/Ghana