The government has reaffirmed its commitment to revamping and retooling state-owned transport services to drive socio-economic growth, with particular focus on repositioning the State Transport Corporation (STC) to fulfil its original mandate.
The Minister for Transport, Hon. Joseph Nikpe Bukari, gave this assurance during a working visit to State Transport Corporation and InterCity STC Coaches Limited as part of efforts to assess operations and engage management and staff on government’s reform agenda for the transport sector.
According to the Minister, the revamp and retooling exercise is aimed at restoring STC’s efficiency, improving service delivery, and strengthening its role in providing affordable and reliable public transport across the country.
Hon. Nikpe Bukari indicated that government is committed to servicing all existing loans contracted by the company before considering any new borrowing, stressing that financial discipline is critical to the sustainability of state-owned enterprises.
During the visit, the Minister toured the workshops and garages of STC, where engineers were working on broken-down vehicles. He commended the technical staff for their dedication and assured them of government’s plans to provide more sophisticated equipment and machinery to enhance vehicle maintenance and servicing.
The Transport Minister also called on the private sector to take advantage of government’s transport reform initiatives by providing organized transport services for their staff, particularly to reduce pressure on public transport during peak hours before and after work.
He urged companies to be more mindful of staff mobility, noting that improved workplace transport arrangements would contribute to productivity and ease congestion in urban centres.
Hon. Nikpe Bukari further applauded the management team of STC for their efforts under challenging circumstances and encouraged them to do more, revealing that government plans to procure about 500 new coaches as part of a broader strategy to revamp STC operations nationwide.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of InterCity STC Coaches Limited, Alhaji Alhassan Ligbi, thanked the Minister and his delegation for the visit and expressed management’s readiness to support government’s efforts to revamp, retool, and reposition the state transport company.
The Transport Minister was accompanied on the visit by the Deputy Minister for Transport, Hon. Dorcas Affo-Toffey, along with other officials from the Ministry.
Story: Patrick Asford Boadu
