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Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia revealed the government’s intention to purchase 100 electric buses for Metro Mass Transit on Monday, February 19, 2024, at the Metro Mass Transit Limited headquarters.
This announcement was made during the Tap & Go Transport Project launch.
With this initiative, e-vehicles will be added to the public transportation fleet and integrated with the Tap&Go system.
“This year we are hoping to order 100 electric buses for Metro Mass Transit so that we will bring in the e-vehicles…” he said.
A digital card system akin to the UK’s Oyster Card System is being introduced by the Tap and Go project. By tapping the card on a fixed machine installed in the bus, passengers can pay for their fares using a digital card that has preloaded cash on it. A mobile app will also provide a virtual card option for mobile phone payments.
The electric buses will have cameras installed so that control room operators can keep an eye on everything going on inside in order to improve safety and monitoring.
According to Dr. Bawumia, the Tap and Go program incorporates a Manifest System that allows users to register for the card with their phone number and Ghana Card, guaranteeing security and transparency.
The initiative also offers top-up options using mobile money accounts and the option to buy tickets from home before boarding the bus.
The objectives of this cashless system are to improve passenger services, increase transparency, and modernize public transportation.
It is anticipated that the Tap and Go initiative will transform public transportation and improve the caliber of services provided.
“Today’s launching of the Tap n’ Go Transport service for Metro Mass Inter-City Services, is our latest digital initiative for the transport sector,” Dr. Bawumia said.
“It is a momentous occasion in our journey towards a more efficient and digitally empowered transportation system.”
Dr. Bawumia listed a number of challenges associated with the public transport sector, which he said, the new digital service will help address.
“Ghana’s public transport system is faced with several challenges. Notably, delays at stations, inability to identify passengers in case of accidents, corruption with drivers under-declaring their earnings, inability to effectively monitor vehicle activities and financial performance of vehicles, lack of access to credit due to inability of banks to verify the revenue performance of vehicles, difficulty in getting the exact amounts to pay transport fares, receiving fake currencies, different fares for the same journey, difficulty of getting change for passengers and of course robbery against cars and passengers, due to cash being carried around.,” Bawumia stated.
“The launch of ‘Tap n’ Go’, beginning with the inter-city Metro Mass Transport Service, will benefit Metro Mass Transport Service and the General public, just as our other digital interventions.”
“I am confident the Tap n Go system will serve as a powerful tool in addressing these issues to ensure transparency in ticketing, mitigate revenue losses, reduce waiting times at terminals, and optimize operational costs.”
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
