NEW KEJETIA TRANSPORT TERMINAL UNDERDOES SUCCESSFUL FINAL SIMULATION CHECKS
The KumasiMetropolitan Assembly (KMA) and its stakeholders successfully carried out aseries of simulation exercises, involving 225 commercial vehicles and 80volunteers, to test the operational readiness of the new Kejetia transportterminal, on Friday, 4th October, 2019.
The Head ofTransport Department of the KMA, Mr. Randy Wilson facilitated the exercise andled stakeholders through the entry and exit areas, the loading and offloadinglanes, the pedestrian crossing points as well as labeling of slots allocated tothe various transport unions.
According toMr. Wilson, the activity which lasted for 3 hours will be repeated on Saturday,5th October and Sunday, 6th October, to ensure that anydefects are found and resolved before the terminal becomes fully operational.
Stakeholderswho participated in the exercise include: the KMA Department of Transport, theKMA Metro Guards, the 24 transport unions in the Ashanti region, the NationalRoad Safety Commission, the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) ofthe Ghana Police Service and also residents of Kumasi who volunteered to play apart in the exercise.
Assurance to transport operators
The KumasiMetropolitan Assembly has taken note of possible challenges that might hinderefficiency of operations in and around the new Kejetia transport terminal, andhas assured transport unions that measures are already in place to remedy thesituations.
Speaking tothe media, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Private Road TransportUnion (GPRTU), Nana Nimako Bresiamah II adviced commercial transport operatorsto stay calm, “even though loading space at the new terminal is inadequate forus, city authorities have assured as that, they will allocate enough space forus in the second phase of the project which will be constructed at the currentlocation of the Kumasi Central Market.”
“We areaware that, to have our waiting drivers’ park at Race Course and to call themon phone could be challenging as a result of unreliable telecommunicationservices as well as traffic jams around the terminal, however, we accept whathas been given to us,” he said.
Nana NimakoBresiamah II also disclosed that the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly has assuredtransport unions that road traffic regulations will be enforced to prevent unauthorizedactivities in and around the terminal, to achieve efficiency of operations ofthe terminal.
According toNana Nimako Bresiamah II, “city authorities have assured us that when the newKejetia transport terminal is opened, they will safeguard its functioning byaverting the activities of ‘waawaa drivers’ who are mostly responsible for thetraffic jams.”
The newKejetia transport terminal has a holding capacity of 108 vehicles and which 86slots have been allocated to commercial transport operators.