Mahama Ayariga recounts resistance to Ayalolo contraflow plan before successful trial

The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has revealed how some transport sector officials initially resisted his proposal to introduce a contraflow arrangement for Ayalolo buses in Accra, describing the plan as impractical.

Speaking on FM’s Super Morning Show on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, Mr Ayariga said some officials repeatedly attempted to dissuade him from implementing the arrangement, despite his belief that it would improve the movement of the buses and help commuters.

He said the disagreement continued until the eve of the planned implementation, when some officials spent several hours in his office trying to persuade him to abandon the proposal.

According to the Minister, the officials remained in his office until about 10 pm, presenting arguments against the feasibility of the arrangement.

Determined to establish whether the plan could work, Mr Ayariga challenged them to participate in a practical trial at 5 am the following day.

He said he was prepared to take matters into his own hands if the officials refused to take part in the exercise.

“I had to threaten and tell them that at 5 am I will be there. If you don't drive, I will probably drive the buses myself and do contraflow so that you will see that it is possible,” he recalled.

Mr Ayariga said the officials eventually reported for the exercise, and the first trial was completed successfully.

He subsequently requested a second trial to assess the return journey and establish how long the full trip would take.

The Minister said he also travelled on the bus during the second exercise, which further demonstrated that the arrangement was workable.

“It worked, and when we returned, I told them the exercise had shown how simple and achievable the arrangement was. They eventually embraced it and are now excited about its implementation,” he said.

With the contraflow arrangement now in place, Mr Ayariga said his next priority is to increase the operational capacity of the Ayalolo bus service by raising the number of trips the buses make each day.

He believes the buses, which currently undertake three trips, could manage between four and six journeys, depending on passenger demand.

The Minister said he intends to push operators to expand their schedules, arguing that more trips would allow the service to transport additional passengers and improve its financial sustainability.

“I am 100 per cent sure that they can do as many as six trips instead of the three trips,” he said.

He added that the final number of journeys could be determined by passenger volumes, with operators considering four, five or six trips based on demand.

Mr Ayariga also called for greater transparency in the presentation of the Ayalolo service’s financial records.

He said a clear account of the service’s revenue and operational expenditure would help establish whether increasing the number of daily trips would be financially sustainable.

The Minister maintained that expanding the frequency of Ayalolo services would help maximise the use of the buses, increase passenger numbers and strengthen the operations of the public transport system.