Monrovia, Liberia – The Liberian government has made it clear that the Brazilian firm Marcopolo, which has its headquarters in Ghana, provided the new buses being imported into the country. Regarding the transport buses in the country, the Ghanaian media has raised alarm that the old buses commonly called AYA LOLO (ARE YOU GOING) from Ghana has been send to Liberia.
The National Transit Authority (NTA) emblems and Ghanaian license plates from the Aayalolo Company brand are being affixed to the vehicles. Debates in Ghanaian media have been triggered by the branding of the two buses and their transfer to Liberia for testing. The topic has even been brought up on live television and radio programs in Ghana.
The Ghanaian public transportation sector faces similar challenges, the host of one of the talk shows questioned Ghana’s transport minister about the arrangement that resulted in the government of Ghana rebranding and sending public buses to Liberia. The response from the Ghanaian minister was not clear as to why the buses were send to Liberia.
Contrary to the viral video on social media, the Government of Liberia obtained the buses from the Brazilian manufacturing company Marcopolo in Ghana, not Aayalolo as is being implied, according to MacDella Cooper, the Political Advisor to President Joseph Boakai.
The President is pleased with the buses’ condition, according to Madam Cooper, who told the local media that they meet all requirements.
Despite questioned about the buses, the National Transit Authority (NTA) has not yet provided an explanation for the agreement that resulted in the buses arriving in Liberia.
Ghana’s Aayalolo bus rapid transit system was launched on November 25, 2016, and it serves Accra, the country’s capital to Nsawo and other parts of Greater Accra.
Along with the Marcopolo team who wished to remain anonymous, President Boakai sent a group of senior government representatives to examine the two buses at the Executive Mansion on Monday.
Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Sylvester Grigsby, Senior Advisor Dr. Augustine Konneh, and Political Advisor Madam MacDella Cooper headed President Boakai’s inspectorate team.
According to Madam Cooper, the bus project is being implemented during a period of significant bus shortages experienced by the Liberia National Transit Authority (NTA), which is impacting public transportation services and making it more challenging for University of Liberia students to go to and from school.
As the government plans to bring in roughly 300 buses after the first two prove to be beneficial, the government officials claim that the arrival of the first two buses is the first step toward improvements to Liberia’s public transportation system.
