Years of overcrowded buses, long waiting times, and unreliable transport services could soon become a thing of the past for many residents in the Upper West Region following the arrival of five new Metro Mass Transit buses.

The buses were officially handed over on Tuesday by Upper West Regional Minister Charles Lwanga Puozuing, who described them as an important investment aimed at improving public transport and making travel easier for commuters across the region.

Addressing Metro Mass staff during the ceremony, the Minister said the buses should be treated as public assets that require proper care and maintenance.

"Yes, we came to officially hand over the buses to you and to start operations," Mr Puozuing said.

He, however, cautioned management and staff against neglecting the new vehicles.

"These buses are vital public assets. Keep them in peak condition. This is not just a gift, it is a responsibility that demands professionalism, a maintenance culture and accountability," he stressed.

For many residents, the additional buses are expected to provide much-needed relief after months of transport difficulties caused by a shortage of operational vehicles.

Northern Zonal Inspector for Monitoring and Compliance at Metro Mass Transit, Dery Joshua, said the region had struggled to maintain several routes because many buses had broken down and were awaiting repairs.

"It is going to ease the transportation problems, especially within the Upper West Region," Mr Joshua said.

He explained that the shortage had forced the company to suspend some of its regular services.

"For some time now, because of the shortage of buses, many of the routes that we used to operate are no more functional," he noted.

The lack of buses has affected thousands of commuters, with many forced to rely on private transport operators charging higher fares.

Mr Joshua said Metro Mass plays an important social role by providing affordable transport rather than focusing solely on profit.

"Private operators usually take advantage of the customer. Metro Mass is there to serve. We are not there to purely make profit. That's why most of our fares are very cheap. We are the moderates among all the transport operators. So it's going to help our people a lot," he said.

The official also acknowledged the persistent problem of broken-down buses parked at the company's depot but revealed that efforts are underway to return many of them to service.

"If you go to our yard now, there are several buses that are parked there," he said.

He disclosed that under the leadership of the new Managing Director, Kale Caesar, a technical team from the national office recently visited the region to repair faulty vehicles.

"About two or three weeks ago, a technical team came from national to fix some of our broken-down buses because some of them just need spare parts to be changed," Mr Joshua explained.

According to him, three buses have already been repaired, while additional spare parts are expected to restore more vehicles to the road in the coming weeks.

The five buses handed over this week form part of a nationwide distribution of 100 new Metro Mass buses acquired under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama and the company's new management.

Mr Joshua assured residents that Upper West would receive even more buses in the coming months.

"The next batch that will come in August, Upper West will also get another good number to augment the fleet in the region," he said.

He added that another allocation is expected before the end of the year.

"The third batch will be coming around October or November, and we also hope that we equally get some to come and add to these ones."

Mr Puozuing expressed appreciation to President Mahama for what he described as his "visionary leadership" and thanked Metro Mass Managing Director Kale Caesar for his "relentless efforts" in ensuring the buses were delivered to the region.

He also revealed that the buses had been blessed by the Vice President in Accra before being dispatched, saying this reflected the government's commitment to improving transport services across the country.

With the new buses set to begin operations, commuters across Wa, Tumu, Nandom, Kundugu and surrounding communities are expected to benefit from more reliable, affordable and comfortable transport services.

"As these buses get on the road, we expect a significant reduction in the daily transportation challenges," the Minister said. "A more efficient, reliable and comfortable travel experience for our people."