The Faculty of Business Administration of Jayee University College has urged the government to adopt the Smart Shuttle Service as a measure to address urban congestion in the country.
Through its research, the Faculty discovered that the inadequacy of vehicles, especially in the Greater Accra Region, is making life difficult for commuters on a daily basis.
As a result, some drivers operating between Accra, Kasoa, and other areas have taken advantage of the situation by overcharging passengers, a development they described as very worrying.
This was made known during the Faculty’s semester-based marketing research presentation on Saturday, March 21, at the College’s main campus at McCarthy Hill, Accra.
Speaking to journalists, Alexander Arhin, a student of the University, explained that their research revealed many Ghanaians want the government to purchase more buses for the Transport Ministry to end this menace.
Hence, he noted, their proposal of the Smart Shuttle Service system to the government.
The Smart Shuttle buses would be stationed at vantage points in Accra and parts of Kasoa where students, workers, and traders struggle to find vehicles to their destinations.
Mr. Arhin noted that the Smart Shuttle Service buses would operate from 4:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. to convey commuters on time, preventing lateness to work or school.
After a break, operations would resume between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., and close at 8:30 p.m., enabling commuters to spend quality time with their families.
“We believe that if the government adopts the Smart Shuttle Service, it will help reduce congestion in the Greater Accra Region and some parts of the Central Region, specifically Kasoa, and the drivers overcharging passengers will be a thing of the past,” he expressed.
The Graduate School Coordinator of the College, Isaac Yaw Opoku-Okuampa, echoed that Ghana’s transport system has posed a major challenge for its citizens for decades, and was optimistic that this business idea could help the government curb the menace.
He further noted that most advanced countries rely on university research to solve such challenges, since governments cannot always directly engage citizens in every locality and listen to their plight.
Senior Lecturer Opoku-Okuampa therefore implored the government and private institutions to embrace the Smart Shuttle Service initiative to minimize congestion in regional capitals, especially Greater Accra.
“When the government or private entities implement this Smart Shuttle Service, it will not only reduce congestion in the country, but it will also create job opportunities for others, particularly the drivers, to reduce the country’s unemployment rate, which is why it must be considered,” he added.
Source: John Oboh
