The Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive (GAPTE), operators of the Aayalolo Quality Bus Service, is set to introduce a contra-flow bus priority system on four major corridors in Accra to reduce travel time and improve public transport during peak hours.
The system, which begins on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, will operate on the Amasaman, Pokuase, Kasoa and Adentan corridors following a traffic simulation exercise conducted with the Ghana Police Service’s Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), Department of Urban Roads, Ministry of Transport and other stakeholders.
The four selected corridors are the Amasaman corridor, with pick-up points at Amasaman, Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Achimota; Pokuase corridor, covering Pokuase, Kwame Nkrumah Circle and Achimota.
Kasoa corridor, covering Kasoa Main Station, Tuba Junction, Old Barrier, Weija Barrier and Kaneshie First Light; and Adentan corridor, covering Adentan Barrier, Madina Zongo Junction, Legon/Okponglo and the 37 Military Hospital.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra, Mr Dawuda Awudu, Managing Director of GAPTE, said the initiative was part of efforts to support the Government’s 24-Hour Economy policy by ensuring that workers, traders, health professionals, security personnel and others could move safely and efficiently across the metropolis.
He said congestion remained a major constraint to productivity, stressing that an efficient transport system was essential to the success of a 24-hour economy.
Under the contra-flow arrangement, Aayalolo buses would use a dedicated lane on the opposite side of the main carriageway, which would normally carry traffic in the reverse direction, to travel towards the peak direction.
Mr Awudu said the lanes would be marked with cones, reflective lane dividers, and road signs, with GAPTE route wardens and MTTD officers deployed at major intersections.
He said the contra-flow lanes were exclusively for Aayalolo buses, adding that private cars, taxis, trotros, okadas and trucks would not be permitted to use them during operational hours.
Mr Awudu said the corridors were selected based on Aayalolo ridership data, travel-time surveys, and congestion mapping conducted between January and August 2026.
“The system will operate from 0600 hours to 0900 hours for morning inbound traffic and 1600 hours to 2000 hours for evening outbound traffic, after which the roads would revert to normal traffic flow,” he added.
He cited the Kasoa-Tudu route as an example, saying the average peak-hour journey, currently about two-and-a-half hours, was projected to reduce to between 40 and 50 minutes under the system.
The initiative, he said, would also provide commuters with more reliable journey times through fixed Aayalolo timetables and increase the number of passengers transported on the selected corridors.
Mr Awudu said the system was intended to encourage some private car users to park their vehicles and use public transport, thereby reducing the number of vehicles on the roads during peak periods.
He said safety remained a priority, with trained GAPTE contra-flow wardens and MTTD officers supporting enforcement at critical intersections.
The Managing Director said the initiative was being implemented with the support of Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, who he said had provided policy direction and helped align the Assemblies along the four corridors.
He said the contra-flow system was exclusively for Aayalolo buses and that any other transport operator seeking to use the designated stretches would first have to obtain the necessary licence from GAPTE.
“For years, we have told commuters to use public transport, but we have not given public transport priority on the road. Today we are correcting that,” he stressed.
Mr Awudu said the intervention would not resolve all of Accra’s transportation challenges but would demonstrate the potential of giving priority to high-capacity public transport.
He appealed to motorists, commercial drivers, and the public to cooperate with GAPTE wardens and MTTD officers during the pilot exercise.
He also announced that GAPTE would soon deploy an electronic payment system to make travel more convenient for passengers.
The public may contact GAPTE through 0531088045 and 0531088033, via calls or WhatsApp, to submit feedback, complaints, or emergency information during the contra-flow operation.