Poor Urban Planning Fuels Transport Challenges – Economist

Private Legal Practitioner and Economist Daniel A. Anim-Prempeh has attributed Ghana’s persistent transport challenges and declining worker productivity to years of inadequate urban planning and weak state investment in mass transit systems.

Speaking on Business Breakfast on Zed 101.9FM, Lawyer Anim-Prempeh stressed that effective city planning must be anchored on population dynamics, noting that authorities have failed to align transport infrastructure with the rapid growth of urban centres.

“When you are planning a city, you look at where the population is concentrated and plan accordingly. Unfortunately, that has not been the case over the years,” he said.

He referenced past government interventions such as the Metro Mass Transit and the Ayalolo Bus System, describing them as well-intentioned but largely inefficient and insufficient to meet public demand.

“Government’s efforts to support the transport system have not been as effective as expected. What we have is woefully inadequate,” he noted.

According to him, the gap left by the state has led to the dominance of private transport operators, who often exploit commuters due to limited alternatives.

“With more private operators than state-supported systems, the imbalance allows transport owners to take advantage of citizens,” he stated.

Lawyer Anim-Prempeh further linked transport inefficiencies to reduced productivity, explaining that long commute times drain workers before they even begin their day.

“You have people leaving home as early as 6 a.m., spending an hour just to find a vehicle, and then sitting in traffic for another two hours. By the time they get to work, they are already exhausted,” he said.

He noted that the situation also affects work patterns, with many workers leaving offices earlier than expected to avoid the stress of returning home during peak hours.

“That early morning energy that should drive productivity is lost. People are forced to adjust their schedules not for efficiency, but to cope with a broken system,” he explained.

The economist called for urgent and deliberate state intervention, including increased investment in reliable and timely mass transport systems, as well as improvements to road infrastructure.

“These are systemic issues that require serious attention. If the state invests properly and ensures efficient movement of people, private operators will not have the opportunity to exploit commuters,” he stressed.

He also called for practical reforms in Ghana’s transport sector, warning that regulations without implementation will continue to undermine productivity and economic growth.

He argued that while policies and legal frameworks may exist, their impact remains limited if not backed by deliberate investment and enforcement.

“You can have very good laws, but if you don’t take practical steps to implement them, they become useless,” he stated.

He noted that Ghana’s transport sector remains highly fragmented, with limited state capacity to effectively compete with private operators.

According to him, the absence of a coordinated system, coupled with inadequate road infrastructure, continues to hinder the efficient movement of people and goods.