Metro Mass Transit Company Limited

Last updated
Metro Mass Transit Limited
Metro Mass Transit logo.jpg
Ghana Metro Bus Service.jpg
Metro Mass Transit bus in Ghana
Founded2003
HeadquartersGhana
Service area Ghana
Service type Bus rapid transit, public bus service and school bus service
Alliance Tata Starbus
Tata Motors
Fuel typeDiesel, NGV (Trial)
Metro Mass station in Tamale Metromass station in Tamale 2.jpg
Metro Mass station in Tamale
Metro Mass Transit Tata Starbus City sheetal.jpg
Metro Mass Transit Tata Starbus
Metro Mass Transit Tata coach Deluxe A.jpg
Metro Mass Transit Tata coach
Metro Mass Transit Bus VDL Jonckheere Ribble Volvo with local coach operator.jpg
Metro Mass Transit Bus VDL Jonckheere
Metro Mass Transit Tata Marcopolo Bus Metro Deluxe.jpg
Metro Mass Transit Tata Marcopolo Bus

The Metro Mass Transit Limited is a public transportation company in Ghana. The company was set up to provide reliable and affordable means of transport for commuters within villages, towns, and cities as well as provide intercity movement.

Contents

History

Public bus companies have operated in Ghana since the Omnibus Service Authority (OSA) started its operations in 1927. The OSA contributed a lot to the Ghanaian society in terms of public transport. However, OSA's assets were divested in 1995.

Conception

Metro Mass Transit (MMT) arose from an idea from President John Kufuor who spoke of the need of introducing a mass transit bus system in the cities of Ghana at his inauguration speech on 7 January 2001. President Kufuor directed the re-introduction of public mass transport in the metropolitan and municipal areas to ensure the safe, affordable, efficient and reliable transport of commuters. Since then, the government has been actively promoting public mass transportation.

Metro Mass Transit Limited was officially incorporated in 2003. The shareholders include the SIC Insurance Company, National Investment Bank, Ghana Oil Company, Agriculture Development Bank, Prudential Bank Limited and Social Security and National Insurance Trust. These together have 55% shareholding. The Government of Ghana holds the remaining 45% shares. [1]

Mission and vision

Mission

The mission of MMT is to provide an efficient urban mass transport system in Ghana through the use of buses.

Vision

To build a dominant, reliable, efficient, safe and affordable yet an economically sustainable mass transit public bus company in Ghana. MMT also aims to introduce the Bus Rapid Transit System into Ghana. [2]

Alleged corruption cases

The managing director (MD) of Metro Mass Transit is alleged to have been caught in a secret audio recording, where he tried to bribe or pay off the whistle blower on how he the MD has sold vehicles that could be repaired as spoiled vehicles. [3]

Operational areas

Since the introduction of the Metro Mass Transit, the following areas have benefited from the service: [4]

Fleet

Metro Mass acquired 275 Marcopolo Viale BRT in 2016 Marcopolo Viale BRT, Accra (P1100136).jpg
Metro Mass acquired 275 Marcopolo Viale BRT in 2016

MMT at the moment[ when? ] has a fleet of buses made up of Yaxing, DAF, Neoplan VDL, VDL Jonckheere, VDL Dutch, and Iveco buses. It is expected that the size of the fleet will reach 1,000 by the end of the year 2008.

MMT Fleets 2016
Young Man Coaches Intracity (Accra / Tema)
Tata

Tata Marcopolo

Intercity
DAF Intercity
VDL Neoplan Intercity
VDL Jonckheere Intercity
Scania Marcopolo Accra BRT

The Fiat-Iveco buses were donated by the Italian Government and helped a great deal during the pilot phase. These buses have played their part and are being phased out.

The Yaxing buses were manufactured in China and supported by the Ghana Government. On 13 April 2006, MMT received 150 Yaxing buses from the Ministry of Roads and Transport (MRT) to augment the MMT fleet. This brought the total number of Yaxing buses received to 400 and the total operational MMT fleet to over 600. As of early 2016 all Yaxing buses have been scrapped and are no longer in service.

All DAF & VDL buses have been financed through an ORET Grant agreement between the Dutch Government and Ghana. Thirty-five percent of the value is a gift of the Dutch Government whilst 65% has been provided as a loan. All DAF Neoplaan & VDL Neoplan buses are manufactured at the Neoplan factory in Kumasi.

Ridership

MMT carried almost 40 million passengers nationwide from January to October 2007 over 12,000,000 kilometres (7,500,000 mi). MMT buses have carried 36,456,300 passengers nationwide and have given 3,724,644 school children free ride.

Job creations

MMT has grown to be one of the major employers in Ghana. MMT's current[ when? ] staff strength of around 2,474 is expected to exceed 3000 by the end of 2008 with the arrival of about 258 buses. Janitorial services, security, bus washing and cleaning are outsourced to third parties providing employment for additional 500 persons. On account of the construction of the buses in Kumasi, several indirect jobs have been created in the manufacturing sector. In general productivity of the workforce in Ghana would increase, since MMT can offer fast and reliable transport from home to the workplace. Moreover, the operations of MMT would empower the Ghanaian community by making job, shop, school and healthcare better accessible. [5]

Operational issues

A pilot Bus Rapid Transit project in Accra, connecting Adenta with the Central Business District and the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, carrying over 20,000 passengers a day commenced in September 2005. The buses operate every 15 minutes and tickets are sold in advance.

Awards

In the year 2013, MMT won the International Transport Awards. [6] It also won the overall award in the National Road Safety awards scheme in October 2013 in the Eastern Region of Ghana. [7] [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Ghana</span>

Transport in Ghana is accomplished by road, rail, air and water. Ghana's transportation and communications networks are centered in the southern regions, especially the areas in which gold, cocoa, and timber are produced. The northern and central areas are connected through a major road system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neoplan</span> German bus and coach brand

Neoplan Bus GmbH is a German automotive company that manufactures buses, trolleybuses and coaches. It became a subsidiary of MAN Truck & Bus SE in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kumasi</span> City in Ashanti Region, Ghana

Kumasi is a city and the capital of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It is the second largest city in the country, with a population of 443,981 as of the 2021 census. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region near Lake Bosomtwe and is located about 200 kilometres (120 mi) from Accra. The city experiences a tropical savanna climate, with two rainy reasons which range from minor to major. Major ethnic groups who lived in Kumasi are the Asante, Mole-Dagbon and Ewe. The current mayor of the metropolitan is Samuel Pyne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egged (company)</span> Bus company

Egged Transportation Ltd is the largest transit bus company in Israel. Egged's intercity bus routes reach most Israeli cities, towns, kibbutzim and moshavim, and the company operates urban city buses throughout the country. It also operates in Poland and the Netherlands through a subsidiary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solaris Bus & Coach</span> Polish producer of public transport vehicles

Solaris Bus & Coach sp z o.o. is a Polish manufacturer of public transport vehicles, with its headquarters in Bolechowo-Osiedle near Poznań. It is a subsidiary of Spanish rolling stock manufacturer CAF with a market share for electric buses in Europe of about 18%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double-decker bus</span> Bus with two levels or decks

A double-decker bus or double-deck bus is a bus that has two storeys or decks. Double-deckers are used primarily for commuter transport, but open-top models are used as sightseeing buses for tourists, and there are coaches too for long-distance travel. They appear in many places around the world but are presently most commonly used as mass transport in cities of Britain, and in Ireland, Hong Kong, Berlin and Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Articulated bus</span> Articulated vehicle used in public transportation

An articulated bus, also referred to as a slinky bus, bendy bus, tandem bus, vestibule bus, stretch bus, or an accordion bus, is an articulated vehicle, typically a motor bus or trolleybus, used in public transportation. It is usually a single-decker, and comprises two or more rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint (articulation) enclosed by protective bellows inside and outside and a cover plate on the floor. This allows a longer legal length than rigid-bodied buses, and hence a higher passenger capacity (94–120), while still allowing the bus to maneuver adequately.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neoplan Transliner (North America)</span> Public transport single-decker bus model

The Neoplan Transliner was a series of related public transport single-decker bus models introduced by Neoplan USA in 1981 and produced until the company declared bankruptcy in 2006. It was available in various lengths ranging from 26 ft (8 m) to 60 ft (18 m) articulated, and was marketed against the Rapid Transit Series, Flxible Metro, Gillig Phantom, New Flyer High Floor, and Orion I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Societatea de Transport București</span>

Societatea de Transport București is one of the main public transit operators in Bucharest, Romania, owned by the Municipality of Bucharest. From 1990 to 2018, the company had a different legal status and was known as the Regia Autonomă de Transport București (RATB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volvo B7RLE</span> Low-entry single-deck bus chassis

The Volvo B7RLE is a low-entry single-deck bus chassis manufactured by Volvo. It was superseded by the Volvo B8RLE in 2013, with production of the B7RLE continuing until 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashanti Region</span> Region of Ghana

The Ashanti Region is located in the southern part of Ghana and is the third largest of 16 administrative regions, occupying a total land surface of 24,389 km2 (9,417 sq mi) and making up 10.2 percent of the total land area of Ghana. It is the most populated region in Ghana, with a population of 5,440,463 according to the 2021 census, accounting for around one-sixth of Ghana's total population. The Ashanti Region is known for its gold bar and cocoa production. The largest city and capital of Ashanti is Kumasi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric bus</span> Bus powered by electricity

An electric bus is a bus that is propelled using electric motors, as opposed to a conventional internal combustion engine. Electric buses can store the needed electrical energy on board, or be fed mains electricity continuously from an external source such as overhead lines. The majority of buses using on-board energy storage are battery electric buses, where the electric motor obtains energy from an onboard battery pack, although examples of other storage modes do exist, such as the gyrobus that uses flywheel energy storage. When electricity is not stored on board, it is supplied by contact with outside power supplies, for example, via a current collector, or with a ground-level power supply, or through inductive charging.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midibus</span> Single-decker bus between 8 and 11 metres in length

A midibus is a classification of single-decker minibuses which are generally larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between 8 metres and 11 metres long. While used in many parts of the world, the midibus is perhaps most common in the United Kingdom, where operators have found them more economical, and to have a sufficient number of seats compared to full size single-decker buses.

Neoplan USA was a major transit bus manufacturing company based in Denver, Colorado. It started as a subsidiary of the German corporation Neoplan in 1981 with its main factory and headquarters in Lamar, Colorado. In 1998, Neoplan USA was acquired by Willis Stein & Partners and became an independent licensee of designs from the German company Neoplan. The company declared bankruptcy in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Hyderabad</span> Transport network serving Hyderabad and surrounding regions

Hyderabad, the capital and largest city of Telangana, features a growing transportation infrastructure that includes a network of roads, railways, and a developing rapid transit system. These transportation systems play a crucial role in connecting the city's residents and facilitating efficient travel within Hyderabad and its surrounding areas. Furthermore, Hyderabad serves as a significant center for transportation and logistics, playing a crucial role in facilitating the seamless movement of goods and services within the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torrens Transit</span>

Torrens Transit is an Australian bus service operator in Adelaide. It operates some services as part of the Adelaide Metro network under contract to the Government of South Australia. It is a subsidiary of Transit Systems, which is a part of the Kelsian Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thessaloniki Urban Transport Organization</span> Mass transport company in Thessaloniki, Greece

The Thessaloniki Urban Transport Organisation, abbreviated OASTH, is a mass transport company operating in Thessaloniki, Greece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Single-deck bus</span> Bus with a single deck for passengers

A single-decker bus or single-decker is a bus that has a single deck for passengers. Normally the use of the term single-decker refers to a standard two-axled rigid bus, in direct contrast to the use of the term double-decker bus, which is essentially a bus with two passenger decks and a staircase. These types of single-deckers may feature one or more doors, and varying internal combustion engine positions. The majority of single-deckers have a length of up to 12 m, although some exceptions of longer buses exist. They also typically weigh between 11 and 14 t.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain Metropolitan Transit</span>

Mountain Metropolitan Transit (MMT) is the primary public transportation operator for the Colorado Springs metropolitan area. It provides bus service between Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, and Security-Widefield. There are currently thirty-four local routes. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 2,991,300, or about 12,100 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024.

References

  1. "The Establishment of MMT". Metro Mass Transit Ltd. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  2. "MMT's Mission & Vision". Metro Mass Transit Ltd. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  3. "MMT scandal: Procurement head fingered in secret audio". ghanamma.com. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  4. "Title unknown". Archived from the original on 2012-06-03. Retrieved 2012-12-13.
  5. "The Establishment of MMT". Metro Mass Transit Ltd. Archived from the original on 2015-05-25. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  6. "Metro Mass wins international award". Ghana News Agency. 20 March 2013. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  7. Naa Korkoi Essah (ISD) (October 30, 2013). "Metro Mass Transport Tops National Road Safety Awards". Government of Ghana. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  8. Murtala M. Bako (November 17, 2013). "Metro Mass adjudged best transport company 2013". Ghana Web. Retrieved 2014-08-12.