Aayalolo returns after 7-month break

After seven months of being grounded, the Aayalolo vehicles under the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system are back on the road, but on a different schedule.

Unlike the previous schedule, which made room for buses to operate throughout the day, the buses would now only operate in the peak hours every morning and evening.

The move is to help sustain operations of the bus service.

The BRT was introduced in 2016 with designated lanes but operations were grounded last November due to financial constraints which hindered fuel purchase for the buses as well as payment of staff and management.

At the time of grounding the buses, a Deputy Transport Minister, Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, said the company needed an amount of GH¢500,000 to fully operate.

Information gathered by 3news.com, however, indicates the Aayalolo buses from Amasaman to Accra started work on Monday, June 10, while Kasoa to Accra commenced a month ago.

Officials of the BRT, however, refused to speak on the re-operationalisation of the system.

Sources say the financial challenges including staff arrears that confronted the company, leading to the suspension of services, have not been addressed.

But in order not to have the 245 buses parked, management decided to bring them back on the road, howbeit with a different schedule.

At least 15 buses would be deployed in phases.

Sources said the new system will be effective since the firm does not have any support from government except from the sale of bus tickets.

According to the source, 45 of the buses have been sent to Kumasi upon the request of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, and the system hopes to start its services on the Adenta-Accra and Dawenya-Accra stretches soon.

Meanwhile, designated lanes for the Bus Rapid System on the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to Tesano and beyond have been taken over.

Some commercial drivers have parked their vehicles on the bus lanes.

Source: 3news.com