Introduce Innovative Measures that will turn Metro Mass Transit around – Minister tells Board

The Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, has charged the Governing Board of Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL) to bring their expertise to bear by introducing innovative measures that will help turn around the transport company.

According to the Minister, the challenges confronting the transport company are enormous and will require wise counselling and decisions from the Board, team work and experience to address them.

Inaugurating a nine-member Governing Board of MMTL in Accra on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, on behalf of Mr. Asiamah, the deputy Minister of Transport, Frederick Obeng Adom, tasked the Board to take up the challenge and ensure that the operations of the transport company are boosted.

“Over the years, the company has gone through several challenges, including the drastic reduction in operational fleet, frequent breakdowns and rising operational cost. It is our expectation that the new Board will take up this challenge to ensure that the company is revived to the level of winning back its share of the market and expand its services”, he noted.

The Minister also entreated the Board to work in unison with Management of the company to address the increasing number of agitations among MMTL’s workforce and ensure that industrial harmony prevails, stressing that “these agitations if not addressed could potentially derail the ongoing efforts”.

Among the Governing Board members of Metro Mass Transit Limited are, Hon. Kofi Ahenkorah Marfo, Chairman, Mr. Albert Adu-Boahene, Member, Mr. Francis Kofi-Nunoo, Member, Mr. Robert Karikari-Darko, Member, and Mrs. Bernadette Addo Dankwa, Member.

The rest are Dr. Joseph Okine Afrane, Member, Nana Yaw Mantey, Member, Mr. Marcus Deo Dake, Member and Mad. Angelina T. A. Mensah, Member.

Mr. Asiamah commenting further said the Ministry between 2018 and 2019 supported the MMTL with a total of 100 new intercity buses to revamp operations.

That notwithstanding, the Ministry is pursuing other arrangements to bring in more buses to augment operations.

However, there would be the need to improve infrastructure such as terminals and maintenance workshops, urging the Board to support Management to deliver on its mandate.

The Ministry, on its part, he added, will provide the needed support and guidelines to enable the Board deliver on its mandate but cautioned against unfortunate practices of the temptation by the Board to take over the role of management in any instance.

“I will entreat the Board and Management to work as a team to realize the objectives of the company. As a matter of caution, I wish also to remind the Board that under the governance framework, they are under the supervision of the Ministry and for that matter, must report directly to the Ministry no matter the magnitude of the issues and we will do our best to resolve it. I operate an open-door policy, and members are free to knock on my door as and when you require my attention to discuss issues of importance to the development and improvement of MMTL’s operations”, he noted.

Chairman of the Board, Hon. Kofi Ahenkorah Marfo, speaking on the task bequeathed on the shoulders of the Board said they are poised to working together with Management of the company to achieve their objectives.

He expressed their appreciation to the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for having reposed confidence in them by nominating them to serve on the Governing Board of MMTL.

“As a Board, we are aware of the huge challenge thrown to us as a result of the matters we will be faced with to resolve and surmount. We, however, pledge that we are ready to face these challenges squarely and deal appropriately with them”, he noted.

He urged Members of the Board to work hard as a team as they strive to make Metro Mass Transit Limited the most preferred transport company in the sub-region.

“We promise work in unison with all stakeholders of the company including the government as a hole, the Ministry of Transport, shareholders, employees, passengers among others to lift up the company to its rightful place”, he pledged.

Touching on the challenges of the company, Hon. Marfo said the Board together with Management will explore all the avenues at their disposal to get spare parts to revamp all broken down buses and also ensure that those that have been declared not fit for purpose are scrapped off.

Welfare issues of workers of MMTL, he added, will duly be addressed.