The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Railway Development Authority, Richard Dombo, has called on Ghanaians to manage their expectations about Government’s intended development of the country’s railway system
Mr. Dombo clarified speculations and claims that Government’s proposed inner city railway development project was going to be moving swiftly in the skies using advanced-technology.
Mr. Dombo cited the unplanned nature of Ghana’s settlements and the country’s lack of technological advances as the reasons why the idea of moving trains in the skies is improbable.
Speaking in an interview on Citi TV’s Face to Face program with Godfred Akoto Boafo, Mr. Dombo explained that feasibility studies conducted for an improved inner city railway system is still however going to be on a ‘raised elevator platforms’ as the current settlement layout of the country is out of touch with modern trends for an efficient railway system.
Mr. Dombo explained Government’s proposed Sky train project suffered public backlash and ridicule because that company contacted for the railway system development is known as Sky train and not because of the lofty ideas of creating a railway system in the skies.
The Former Deputy Chairman of the NPP UK branch also called on Ghanaians to realistic with the kind of expectations they have for the railway sector in the country.
If you look at the infrastructure needed for an unplanned city like Accra, the technological challenges are enormous. For that matter, you can’t envision something like the London Orbital or a metro (a light-railway system for the inner city) with the infrastructure that we have got. The roads that we have were not built with railway in mind.
When we are looking at feasibility studies towards the design of a suitable network for Accra they will of necessity be on raised elevator platforms. This company is only called a Sky train. So people played a lot on the name Sky train. I heard all the jokes. The point is any train company that wins the bid to build an inner city network for us, will be on an elevated platforms.
In November last year, the government signed an agreement with a South African group, Africa Investment (Ai) SkyTrain Consortium, for the construction of the Accra Sky Train Project.
Railways Development Minister, Mr. Joe Ghartey, signed the agreement for Ghana on the sidelines of the Africa Investment Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa.
He emphasized that the Sky Train Project was the solution to the ever-increasing road traffic congestion in Accra, with its detrimental effects on economic activity, pollution and the quality of life.
Reviving the railway sector, a priority – Nana Addo
President Akufo-Addo has in November last year said that the revival of the country’s railway sector is a priority of his administration.
Nana Akufo Addo said fixing the railway system was the surest way of dealing with Ghana’s transportation challenges.
Speaking at a meeting with officials of Sky Train Consortium after signing an MOU with the South African company, Nana Akufo Addo said Ghana’s railway system needs to be fixed.
“After independence, our infrastructure is almost incomplete, it has become a priority of our government to rehabilitate, revive and expand, and get us a railway infrastructure that is fit for purpose.”
“We now know that this is the most efficient way. What is exciting about this project is that it is a very good example of intra-Africa co-operation. It is Ghana-South Africa co-operation, meeting and coming together to deal with the problem of urbanization, which is facing all our countries”, The President said.
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By: Jude Mensa Duncan | Citinewsroom.com | Ghana | Duncanmensa@gmail.com
