The government is to augment the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL) fleet with 600 buses.
The Minister of Transport, Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, said the move was part of measures to revamp the operations of the MMTL.
“Currently, value for money assessment is being undertaken for the supply of 300 Hyundai buses from Korea and additional 200 buses from China,” he told Parliament on Monday, March 1, 2022.
He was responding to a question by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Adaklu, Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza, who asked how many buses had been procured for the MMTL since 2017, how much they cost and how it was funded.
The Transport Minister said the MMTL was established with an objective to provide intra-city, inter-urban and rural-urban bus services in the country.
The policy framework for the financing and operations of the MMTL was that the government would provide support for the acquisition of buses to enable the company to provide relatively cheaper and affordable mass transportation services to the public as a necessary social service, Mr Asiamah said.
“Mr Speaker, a total of 100 new intercity buses have so far been supplied to the MMTL at a total cost of $17.5 million.
“This was financed by the government. We have also signed a contract with VDL Bus Roeselare for the supply of 100 intercity buses, spare parts and training services,” the Transport Minister said.
Mr Asiamah added that under the same contract, 50 broken down VDL buses at MMTL would be repaired to augment the fleet.
“This project is also being financed with a €25.49 million mixed credit facility from the government of Belgium and Belfius Bank SA/NV.
“The first batch of 45 buses are in production and expected to be delivered by the second quarter of this year,” the Minister of Transport stated.