Metro Mass Transit (MMT) Limited’s new Huanghai Inter-City coaches from China will on Tuesday, July 5, 2016 start commercial operation.
The new coaches, which will ply from Accra to Bolga, will complement the company’s commitment and readiness to provide affordable, reliable and safe transport service to all Ghanaians, Today has learnt.
The 49-seater two buses, Today gathered, were offered to the state-owned transport service provider by Chinese-based company, Huanghai Automobile, to be tried for three months on the country’s busier routes alongside a total of one hundred and sixteen (116) city buses which MMT was currently using.
And it has been agreed that after trial, MMT sign a contractual agreement with the Huanghai Automobile,Today has discovered.
The announcement for the starting of operation of the two buses, Today established, follows the final checks and installments by management of MMT headed by Mr. Alhassan Ligbi to ensure that the buses are ready to run smoothly on the busier routes from Accra to Bolga.
Today was also reliably informed that the two white-coloured buses are 12-metre long to allow maximum capacity in comparison to other twelve-metre buses which the company was currently using.
Today understands that a new feature of having the entire bus on one level rather than with a step in the middle will ensure better passenger flow and more standing capacity.
This paper discovered that another new feature of the new bus is that there are strategically-positioned seats that indicate priority seating.
Speaking in an exclusive with Today at the weekend in Accra, acting Communications Manager of MMT, Ms. Bernice Akologo, explained that the new buses come with features including security cameras, television sets, and comfortable seats.
She told Today that the new technology, such as diagnostics software on the new bus, will allow the driver to detect faults in real time.
According to her, the buses will also have added security cameras to ensure that they work as economically as possible.
She stated that a number of checks were being done by both management and the workers to ensure that the buses can be put on rotation as soon as possible.
She pointed out that in December 2013 MMT launched a 5-year strategic plan aimed at sustaining its operations through a comprehensive fleet renewal programme.
She said the last time MMT procured buses was in 2012 until in late 2015 when MMT received 116 Huanghai intra-city buses provided by Government of Ghana (GoG) through an on-lend arrangement.
According to her, management realised there was the need for luxury buses to change the face of its inter-city operations.
“The two luxury buses offered to MMT by Huanghai Automobile from China are for trial alongside the 116 city buses already operating in the system in Ghana.
“…if MMT should sign a contract with them, the first phase would include the supply of 100 coaches, fleet management and electronic ticketing system and three years preventive maintenance, workshop and offices,” Ms. Akologo explained to Today.
The second phase, Ms. Akologo disclosed, will have all first the phase except workshop and offices.
She further revealed that the supplier, Liaoning Huanghai, has indicated their interest to provide a 3-year supplier’s credit with a moratorium of 3 months from the date of Bill of Laden.
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