CUTS International Accra is urging government to establish an Accra City Transportation Authority to regulate, plan, and coordinate transport services across the capital following mounting commuter hardship and deteriorating rush hour conditions caused by fragmented governance structures.
The research and public policy organization argues that dividing the old Accra Metropolitan Assembly into more than twenty municipal and sub metropolitan assemblies has weakened transportation management while the city continues functioning as a single economic unit. Roads, drainage systems, housing development, and transport corridors cut across several jurisdictions yet planning and coordination remain scattered across independent authorities.
Appiah Kusi Adomako, Director of the West Africa Regional Centre at CUTS International, emphasized that urban movement does not respect political boundaries and planning must follow how people actually live and commute rather than administrative divisions.
“You cannot run a single city with multiple transport decision centers working in isolation,” Adomako stated. He noted that most Accra residents commute daily toward one central business district, making siloed transport policy ineffective and counterproductive.
Between 1989 and 2017, Accra evolved from operating under one assembly to approximately twenty four separate governing bodies. CUTS acknowledges that decentralization itself is not problematic but argues the fragmentation occurred without creating coordinating mechanisms for city level services like transportation.
“The creation of multiple assemblies was not a mistake,” Adomako said. “The mistake was failing to build a city level transport authority to coordinate planning after the fragmentation.”
The organization traced current transportation challenges to decades of weak policy direction dating back to the 1970s when the Omnibus Service Authority provided predictable urban transit. That system’s gradual collapse created a vacuum that subsequent initiatives failed to adequately fill.
Metro Mass Transit (MMT), introduced in 2001, shifted focus from intra city movement to long haul travel according to CUTS analysis. The Ayalolo bus rapid transit system launched in 2015 raised expectations but encountered setbacks after buses were diverted to other cities and private institutional use rather than serving regular commuters.
Today commuters struggle daily to find transport after work while some private operators split journeys into segments and charge multiple fares for what should be single trips. This fragmented service delivery reflects the absence of centralized route planning and fare regulation.
CUTS linked the crisis to inadequate enforcement of the Road Traffic Regulation 2012, Legislative Instrument (LI) 2180. Regulation 121 requires private operators to work under defined route based systems with clear service standards, yet this framework remains largely inactive across the capital.
Assemblies issue permits that apply broadly rather than to specific routes, allowing drivers to choose only high profit corridors while leaving many areas underserved. Transport unions allocate routes based on influence rather than planning data and commuter demand patterns.
“You now have a city where transport supply responds to lobbying power instead of commuter demand,” Adomako observed. He emphasized this market distortion creates inefficiency and prevents equitable service distribution across neighborhoods.
The government announced procurement of over 350 buses for Metro Mass Transit alongside assurances from the Vice President that high occupancy vehicles will ease congestion. Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe met with MMT management and its sister company to ensure available buses handle rush hour traffic more effectively.
Mohammed Mubarak Watara, Head of Communications at MMT, confirmed the company reduced intercity routes to Kumasi and Cape Coast to make more buses available for intracity commuters during peak periods. He said extended operating hours and increased service on high demand routes like Adenta represent adjustments made with limited fleet resources.
CUTS welcomed the bus procurement but warned vehicles alone will not solve underlying structural problems without accompanying policy reform and institutional strengthening.
“Procurement is necessary, but procurement alone will fail,” Adomako noted. “Without policy reform, coordination, and strong institutions, the same crisis will return within a few years and many of these buses will end up as scrap.”
The organization stressed that dysfunctional transportation systems stem from weak policy design and poor infrastructure management rather than simply insufficient vehicles. Cities worldwide plan transport centrally, determine routes, control frequency, and invest heavily in operations to ensure reliable service delivery.
London operates through thirty two boroughs yet Transport for London (TfL) plans and coordinates the entire metropolitan transportation system. The unified authority manages tube lines, buses, cycling infrastructure, and walking routes despite the city’s administrative divisions.
“No serious city leaves urban transportation entirely to private operators,” Adomako said. “When transport fails, the city fails.” He argued centralized planning allows authorities to match service supply with actual demand patterns revealed through data rather than operator preferences.
CUTS proposed establishing an Accra City Transportation Authority with legal power to plan routes, terminals, and services across all assemblies currently governing parts of the metropolitan area. This body would override municipal boundaries to create coherent network planning.
The organization called for strict route based licensing under LI 2180 using census and mobility data to determine optimal fleet numbers for different corridors. This evidence driven approach would address demand and supply imbalances that currently leave some areas oversupplied while others lack adequate service.
CUTS emphasized sustained public investment in dedicated lanes, terminals, and modern public transport infrastructure represents a continuous commitment rather than one time expenditure. Transportation systems require ongoing funding for maintenance, upgrades, and expansion to remain functional.
The think tank urged government to retool assemblies and strengthen enforcement capacity across the metropolitan area. Current structures lack sufficient authority and resources to regulate private operators effectively or hold them accountable to service standards.
Adomako stressed that coordination mechanisms must extend beyond procurement announcements to encompass route planning, fare regulation, service frequency standards, and terminal management. Fragmented decision making prevents the synchronized operations necessary for functional urban transit.
The proposal arrives as commuters face daily struggles securing transport during morning and evening peak hours. Long queues form at stations while available vehicles fill beyond comfortable capacity, creating safety concerns and extended travel times.
Private trotro operators dominate Accra’s transportation landscape, providing the majority of intracity trips through loosely regulated services. While this informal sector fills gaps left by insufficient public transit, it operates without comprehensive route planning or service coordination.
CUTS argued that professionalization of the sector requires regulatory frameworks that balance operator interests with commuter needs while ensuring geographic coverage reaches underserved communities. Market forces alone cannot deliver equitable transportation access across income levels and neighborhoods.
International examples demonstrate successful integration of private operators within publicly planned systems. Cities from Bogotá to Lagos have reformed transportation through route franchising that preserves private sector participation while imposing service standards and coordination requirements.
The organization acknowledged political challenges in creating authorities that supersede existing assembly jurisdictions but emphasized transportation efficiency justifies institutional reforms. Economic productivity suffers when workers spend excessive time commuting or struggle reaching employment centers reliably.
Business operations face disruptions when employees arrive late or fatigued from difficult journeys, while potential investors evaluate infrastructure quality when considering where to locate operations. Transportation dysfunction therefore carries economic costs extending beyond individual commuter inconvenience.
CUTS noted that climate considerations add urgency to improving public transit, as efficient mass transportation reduces vehicle emissions compared to individual car usage. Well designed systems encourage modal shifts away from private vehicles toward buses and trains.
The proposal for an Accra City Transportation Authority represents what CUTS describes as necessary institutional innovation to match governance structures with urban realities. Political boundaries should not determine service delivery when cities function as integrated economic and social units.
“Accra does not suffer from a shortage of buses alone,” Adomako concluded. “Accra suffers from a shortage of planning, coordination, and political commitment to treat transportation as the lifeline of the city.”
The think tank plans continued engagement with government officials, assembly leaders, and transport stakeholders to build support for institutional reforms. Success requires political will to prioritize transportation planning over administrative convenience and short term solutions.
