The Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive (GAPTE) has warned that the absence of dedicated bus lanes is inflating the cost and duration of its Aayalolo bus service across Accra. GAPTE’s head of transport planning, Alex Johnson, said the buses spend far too much time stuck in traffic, a situation that undermines the system’s promise of efficient, reliable mass transit.
Johnson told the Citi Breakfast Show on September 9 that routes that should take 25‑30 minutes can now take over 90 minutes because Aayalolo buses share road space with private vehicles. “Without having dedicated lanes for a BRT system, it makes operating city buses very expensive,” he explained. “You have a corridor that you could be making within 25 minutes and a maximum of 30 minutes if we had dedicated lanes but we end up spending over one and a half hours on these same routes.”
GAPTE argues that dedicated lanes would allow buses to maintain optimal speeds, enabling stops every five to ten minutes and reducing operating costs. The organisation’s call comes amid growing congestion on Accra’s roads, which the executive says is eroding the Aayalolo system’s intended benefits.
GAPTE’s statement highlights the broader challenge of integrating rapid transit solutions into Ghana’s congested urban centres. The executive’s remarks suggest that without infrastructure changes, the Aayalolo service will continue to struggle with inefficiency and high operational expenses.
