Accra's bus lanes cut a two-hour commute to under half an hour
The Aayalolo contra-flow system now carries more than 8,000 passengers a day on three corridors, and the transport agency wants to extend it.
Accra — A dedicated lane for buses is changing the morning commute for thousands of people in Accra. The Aayalolo contra-flow system, launched on 29 September, now carries more than 8,000 passengers a day on three corridors, the managing director of the Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive (GAPTE), Dawuda Awudu, told the Ghana News Agency, MyJoyOnline reports.
Journey times
- Adenta to the city centre: about 28 minutes in the morning peak, down from about two hours; about 30 minutes back in the evening, instead of two and a half hours
- Amasaman to Accra: about 35 minutes in the morning and 40 in the evening, down from more than three hours
- Kasoa corridor: about 50 minutes
Each Aayalolo bus carries about 85 passengers, and ten buses making several trips can move more than 8,000 people a day. Police escorts have improved safety, and public compliance has grown after text messages and adverts explained the scheme.
What's next
GAPTE is assessing the results before extending the system to other corridors, which depends on safety and on having enough buses; repairs are under way and talks with the minister aim to strengthen the fleet. Awudu described the service as a social intervention whose "profit" is easing congestion, and said it is not meant to push out trotro operators.
Source: MyJoyOnline, via the Ghana News Agency, 16 October 2026.
