The Public Relations Officer of Aayalolo Bus Operations, Justice K. Safo, has disclosed that about 12 of its buses are currently undergoing repairs, as persistent traffic congestion and fleet reductions continue to undermine the mass transit system’s efficiency.
Speaking in an interview on Friday, January 16, he highlighted the operational constraints facing the service, stressing that the drive is losing its mandate to ease congestion due to traffic conditions in the country.
According to him, buses intended to operate on dedicated lanes are now often trapped in general traffic, severely affecting their turnaround times.
He revealed that journeys expected to last about one hour are now taking between two and three hours on return trips, significantly reducing the number of daily trips each bus can make.
He further attributed part of the operational challenge to a reduced fleet. Out of the 245 buses originally delivered for Aayalolo operations, the previous Transport Ministry reassigned 72 to other metropolitan areas, including Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi and Tamale.
“We have been in operation for about 10 years, so it is only natural that some of the buses will be grounded. Some of them have been involved in accidents, and we have fewer than 10 such buses currently at the workshops.
“As of yesterday, we had about 12 to 13 buses across the various corridors coming into the workshop to be worked on. We will need assistance to deliver on our mandate,” he said.
Despite these challenges, he maintained that Aayalolo remains committed to its mandate but will require additional support and improved traffic management to effectively deliver reliable and timely mass transit services.
