TRANSPORT MELTDOWN: NDC FAILS GHANAIANS – COMMUTERS WAIT HOURS AT ROADSIDE WHILE GOVERNANCE COLLAPSES
Under the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, Ghana’s transport system is collapsing in real time. What should be a basic public service, a reliable means of movement for workers, students, and families, has become a daily ordeal of waiting on roadside queues for over an hour, clogged bus stops, unpredictable service, and rising costs. This is not isolated frustration: it reflects clear evidence of systematic mismanagement and absence of strategic planning.
Across Accra and other major cities, commuters report repeatedly standing by the roadside for nearly two hours before securing a public transport vehicle during morning and evening peaks. Sources confirm that bus terminals and trotros are overflowing with passengers competing for limited seats, turning a once routine commute into a test of endurance and patience.
Why is this happening? Official transport policy data shows that long delays (52.6%) and unpredictable schedules (45.9%) are leading causes of public dissatisfaction with road transport services nationwide. Commuters in Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions regularly cite vehicle scarcity and traffic congestion as core problems that impede timely travel and productivity.
Despite repeated warnings, the NDC government has failed to implement a cohesive transport plan. Even when public transport buses were deployed on four key Accra routes in December 2025 to ease congestion, the impact has been symbolic rather than structural. Insufficient fleet numbers and no dedicated bus lanes mean buses remain stuck in traffic, barely reducing queues at rush hour.
The Ministry of Transport itself acknowledged a shortage of public vehicles, admitting it contributes to long waits, overcrowding, and pressure on private operators. Yet instead of bold action, interventions have been slow, piecemeal, and reactive.
Commuters are right to be frustrated. Thousands of workers now leave homes before dawn to beat queues; some still return late, exhausted after waiting by roadside ranks that extend for blocks. What should be a functional service for a developing capital city is reduced under the NDC rule to chaos and inconvenience.
Other stakeholders, including transport unions and analysts, highlight how regulatory failure and political interference have worsened service quality not just in Accra, but across urban centres.
In stark contrast, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has consistently emphasised transport infrastructure, efficient public services, and strategic expansion of mass transit models from Metro Mass to Ayalolo and state transport retooling as central to national mobility and productivity.
Ghana cannot accept a transport system where commuters routinely stand for hours on the roadside. The nation needs leadership that delivers order, planning, and real results, and not endless waiting.
By: Blessing Mantey
