Head of Corporate communications Unit for the Metro Mass Transit Limited, Mr. George Krobea Asante has revealed that, the Ghanaian government through the Transport Minister and the Management of the company have been able to revive the company’s relationship with the Dutch government.
Going into the future the Management of the company through its Board have managed to lobby for 500 buses to be supplied by the VDL in the next five years and all things been equal 100 of such buses will be supplied in every year.
Again, government of Ghana through Parliamentary approval has agreed to procure some inter city coaches buses to augment the current of fleets of the company.
According to him, who spoke in a one one interview on Republic FM’s Anopa Dawuro on Friday, February 4, 2022, 100 buses will be procure by Dutch government every year.
“ The new managing director and the transport minister, kwaku Ofori Asiamah has been able renew the relationship between the two governments, and in the next five years, original Darf buses will be given to the country.
As I speak with you now, 45 of them have been built and 100 buses will be given every year” he added.
He said, since the inception of the company in 2003, about 90% of the current fleet are buses that were procured to augment its operations.
However, he said, it’s not as if the company did not have a policy on fleet replacement but successive administration after the 2008, which was the NDC kicked out the first managing Director, Mr. Henk.
The Darf buses were given to the Ghanaian government as grants by the Dutch government under former President Kuffour.
He also said, under the NDC Mills Mahama administration the MD then failed to maintain the company’s relationship with their Dutch counterparts the reason why we did not have any of the VDL buses during their tenure
He said, the buses procured under the Mills – Mahama administration could not stand the weather conditions of the country.
Establishing his facts, he said, after NDC winning power in 2008 elections, it kicked out the managing director which marred the relationship between the Ghanaian government and the Dutch officials respectively.
Furthermore, he revealed that a special funding of about $30 million dollars was created to procure buses in every six years.
“ The Dutch government specifically created a funding for buses acquisition for the Metro Mass. It was solely for buss acquisition, about $30 million dollars”, he said.
