Metro Mass Transport Company Brings In 45 New Buses – Operations Director
The operations Director of the Metro Mass Transport has assured Ghanaians that before the end of the year, the company will receive 45 more new buses to augment the current fleet. The Director made this revelation when this portal visited the company’s stand at a conference to introduce digitisation of transport industry conference at Kempiski Hotel in Accra .
He agreed to a question regarding the near invisibility of metro buses in the cities and regional capitals, especially Accra . He attributes it to the breakdown of most of their buses awaiting rehabilitation, repairing and retrofitting.
According to him cost of maintenance of the buses is very high due to high cost of spare parts. Besides, it’s not profitable to dispose of the broken down buses through auction because the auctioneers will sell them very cheap . Asked about what they are doing with the broken down buses , he indicated that they are in the process of repairing the repairable ones but will dispose of the bad ones. But management and the Board of Directors will have to meet and take a decision before any action can be taken.
He disclosed that the running cost of the buses is very high and that they are finding it difficult to break even . This is because administration, overhead and technical costs are suffocating the company. Nevertheless t, the company is doing its best to resurrect from its current state of affairs. He disclosed that their buses are working in the rural areas in what he terms inter-city commuting service. But now the the city services is not visible enough but with importation of these 45 new buses, the later services would resume. About 10 buses had been brought in already waiting for the next batch of 45 soon.
He told this reporter that these buses unlike the previous ones are very strong , durable and made to fit our rugged terrain from Holland . The company contemplates buying 200 new buses before the end of 2024.
“We have challenges,yes we do , but the situation is not so hopeless. We intend to bring in new buses to boost our operations and very soon we will get back in full swing. We are talking to the banks to support us even though most banks don’t invest in transport business but let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best “.
The Director decried a situation where one buse’s sales is catering for 14 staff members . However one bus brings in an average of 5000gh to 6000gh a week not forgetting the operational cost. So far the company has about 200 buses working and more than 150 are not on roads packed motionless at their yard .
