QBS (formerly BRT) resumes operations today
The pilot exercise of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), now ‘Quality Bus System (QBS)’, which started last Monday resumes today after suffering a temporary setback.
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A number of commuters were given free ride on the bus service from Amasaman through the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to Tudu last Monday.
The pilot exercise was expected to run till the end of the week but was temporarily suspended over non-compliance with registration and insurance regulations.
Name change
The change in name, according to officials of the Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive (GAPTE), managers of the project, has been necessitated by the fact that there are no dedicated lanes for the buses.
Dedicated lanes form a crucial element of a BRT system.
However, all the bus stops that have been created on the Accra-Circle- Achimota-Amasaman road have “BRT lanes” boldly inscribed on them.
Non-registration of buses
The suspension of the service followed concerns regarding the non-registration of the vehicles with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the lack of insurance cover for the buses.
Another reason that led to the halting of the operation was the challenge with communication between passengers and the bus drivers.
Nine buses of the QBS last Monday started a pilot service from Amasaman through Achimota and the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and finally terminating at the Central Business District (CBD) in Accra.
Operational challenges
However, operators of the service identified challenges with the log system which was supposed to provide information on the various stops where passengers were supposed to alight.
That created a situation where passengers had to shout to the drivers when the bus was moving beyond the locations where they should have alighted.
The suspension of the service, according to officials of the QBS, would enable drivers to be trained on communicating with passengers in a non-obstructive manner.
Conflicting information
The Marketing and Communications Manager of GAPTE, Mr Roland Bruce, said last Monday that the buses would be registered and insured by the end of the week.
But the Chief Executive Officer of GAPTE, Mr Sampson Gyamenah, later said the registration and insurance of the buses were being done.
He said last Monday’s operation was a simulation exercise and not a pilot and added that the service would be commercially rolled out tentatively in October.
He confirmed to the Daily Graphic that the service would resume today.
Other concerns
Other concerns that have come up include the fact that work was ongoing on some of the bus stops, while those that have been completed are being used by other road users.
Also questions are being asked concerning the rush in starting the service while the infrastructure required for a smooth take-off has still not been completed.
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