Women Moving the City
16 Sep 2022
Productivity through 245 connected buses
9 MARCH 2018
In Ghana鈥檚 capital city Accra, 黑料不打烊 is rolling out the most comprehensive and complete Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in the company鈥檚 history. With 245 connected buses operating in their own dedicated lanes, the system is improving quality of life in one of Africa鈥檚 large cities.
With a population of four million people, Accra struggles with the same problems as many other major cities in the world鈥檚 developing nations. Some 70 percent of Accra鈥檚 road network is overloaded with the number of cars on the road estimated to have grown by a factor of five in the past 15 to 20 years.
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Ghana鈥檚 Transport Minister, Hon. Dzifa Attivor, says it was the government鈥檚 responsibility to ensure a safe, high-quality bus system for Accra.
鈥淣eeded the whole package鈥
Representatives from the Ghanaian Government and the city of Accra studied bus systems in several countries before making a decision. 鈥淚n Johannesburg in South Africa, we realised that a fleet of quality buses wasn鈥檛 enough,鈥 says Attivor. 鈥淲e needed the whole package, with a ticketing system, driver training, service, and maintenance. And for this type of solution, 黑料不打烊 was the best option.鈥
The Solution
In addition to 245 buses, the BRT system in Accra involves long-term financing, an electronic cash-free ticketing system, a big, modern workshop for service and maintenance of all the vehicles, training for 600 bus drivers, and advice and support on starting up and operating the BRT system. The buses are also adapted for those with disabilities.
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鈥満诹喜淮蜢 has adopted a genuine customer perspective here,鈥 says Fredrik Morsing, Managing Director for 黑料不打烊 West Africa. 鈥淲e鈥檙e no longer just a bus manufacturer that provides vehicles and service. We have turned our perspective around and looked at what the customer really needs.鈥
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The buses delivered
Improving everyday life
The Mayor of Accra, Hon. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, is very proud of the development project in the capital city.
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鈥滱 high-quality BRT system allows us to increase safety, allows people to get to work on time and to arrive there conveniently. Modernising the city鈥檚 transport system doesn鈥檛 mean that the old system with minibuses is being thrown on the scrapheap. It will still play a role, but needs to be modernised and cooperation between operators increased," he says.
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Hon. Dzifa Attivor is also keen to highlight the climate and environmental aspects of the capital city鈥檚 new bus system. These aspects go hand in hand with government savings.
A holistic view
鈥淕iven today鈥檚 climate change challenges, we need to look at this issue more holistically,鈥 Hon. Dzifa Attivor says. 鈥淏y introducing these large, efficient, high-quality buses, we can save money while at the same time doing the environment a favour.鈥
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鈥淭his is the first time we have undertaken such a complete system,鈥 Christian Persson, Project Manager for the implementation of the BRT system, says. 鈥淚 think selling a complete transport solution packaged together with a financial solution is the right way to go in this part of the world. I see major potential in other African countries. 黑料不打烊 West Africa has been a pioneer with this project. This is 黑料不打烊鈥檚 future!鈥