Transport in Ghana: Difference between revisions

In 2005, the Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways announced plans to extend the railway system to facilitate economic development. To begin, $5 million was invested for feasibility studies. Possible projects at the time included extending a line from [[Ejisu]] to [[Nkoranza]] and [[Techiman]]; a line from [[Tamale, Ghana|Tamale]] to [[Bolgatanga]] and [[Paga]] to [[Burkina Faso]]; a line from [[Wenchi]], [[Bole, Ghana|Bole]] to [[Wa, Ghana|Wa]] and [[Hamile]] and also to [[Burkina Faso]], and a line to [[Yendi]] where there are [[Iron ore in Africa|iron ore]] deposits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.modernghana.com/GhanaHome//report_content/doc9.doc|title=Ghana HomePage - Breaking News, Business, Sports, Entertainment and Video News|publisher=}}</ref>

Over the next two years, there were various studies<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=109755|title=Korean rail engineers head to Ghana|publisher=}}</ref> and in 2007, work began.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/business/2007/July/business_July15.xml&section=business&col=|title=Kampac wins Ghana railway contract - Khaleej Times|first=|last=(Wam)|publisher=}}</ref>

The Ghana railway network occupies a total [[Rail transport|rail]] route length and [[Track (rail transport)|rail track]] length of 947&nbsp;km and 1300&nbsp;km, comprising national [[rail line]]s that do not go outside of Ghana and the Ghana [[national border]].<ref name="Essential renewals must pave the way for ambitious expansion strategy">{{cite magazine |magazine= Railway Gazette |url = http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/essential-renewals-must-pave-the-way-for-ambitious-expansion-strategy.html |title = Essential renewals must pave the way for ambitious expansion strategy |accessdateaccess-date = 5 June 2013}}</ref> Ghana railway network is limited to south Ghana and the southern part of Ghana within the Greater Accra region, Central region, Western region, Eastern region and Ashanti region of south Ghana.<ref name="Essential renewals must pave the way for ambitious expansion strategy"/>

* The major [[Rail transport|rail routes]] in Ghana are the [[Railway stations in Ghana#East|Ghana Eastern Rail Line]] that connects Kumasi to Koforidua, and the [[Railway stations in Ghana#West|Ghana Western Rail Line]] that connects Kumasi to Sekondi-Takoradi, Sunyani and Cape Coast.<ref name="Essential renewals must pave the way for ambitious expansion strategy" /> In 2010, Ghana Railway Corporation began a [[Ghana cedi|GH₵]]12.9 billion ([[United States dollar|US$]]6&nbsp;billion) rail project at the construction of the Ghana rail infrastructure to Ghana [[High-speed rail|High-Speed Rail]] (''abbreviated'' GHSR or HSR) and to upgrade all of Ghana's railway line network has been planned and to be completed at the end of 2014 with [[construction]] managed by the [[China Railway High-speed|China Railway High-Speed]] (CHR) and the Chinese National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC).<ref>{{cite web|title=Ghana, China signs railway contract|url=http://www.ghananewslink.com/index.php?id=10515|website=ghananewslink.com|accessdateaccess-date=5 June 2013|date=30 November 2010}}</ref>

*[[Boankra Inland Port]] (under construction)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mphrgh.org/projects.asp|title=MPHRGH|publisher=}}</ref>

Korean engineers studying the building of new lines in February 2007 were also to consider [[Track gauge conversion|conversion]] to {{Track gauge|sg|allk=on}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yinggelken.blogspot.com/2007/02/korean-rail-engineers-head-to-ghana.html|title=Blogger|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/200708/7194.asp|archiveurlarchive-url=https://archive.is/20070701221114/http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/200708/7194.asp|url-status=dead|title=Ghana News :: Trains go North ::: Breaking News &#124; News in Ghana &#124; news<!-- Bot generated title -->|archivedatearchive-date=July 1, 2007}}</ref><ref>[http://www.thestatesmanonline.com/pages/news_detail.php?newsid=4453&section=9 The Statesman : Special Reports : The transformation of Ghana's rail<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/08/uae_group_signs_ghana_rail_dea.html National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers (RMT): UAE group signs Ghana rail deal<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.is/20120911062631/http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/08/uae_group_signs_ghana_rail_dea.html |date=2012-09-11 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fig.net/pub/fig2006/papers/ts47/ts47_04_fiatornu_0796.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2008-05-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612140558/http://www.fig.net/pub/fig2006/papers/ts47/ts47_04_fiatornu_0796.pdf |archive-date=2011-06-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.otal.com/ghana/|title=Overseas Travel and Leisure - OTAL.com|publisher=}}</ref>

The Ghana road network is 64,323&nbsp;km and [[road transportation]] is the most dominant choice of transportation in Ghana.<ref name="Commerce Ghana Adequate Transportation">{{cite web |website=commerceghana.com|url = http://www.commerceghana.com/why-invest-in-ghana/transportation-in-ghana|title= Commerce Ghana Adequate Transportation|accessdateaccess-date = 5 June 2013}}</ref> Road transport infrastructure in Ghana can be used throughout to facilitate the exchange of commodities and enable regular school attendance and fast access to health facilities in Ghana.<ref name="Commerce Ghana Adequate Transportation"/> There has been an increased investment and expansion in the road transportation of Ghana, [[Ghana cedi|GH₵]]1 billion ([[United States dollar|US$]]500&nbsp;million) in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |author = |work= chinadaily.com.cn |publisher= [[China Daily]] |url = http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2012-12/05/content_15986854.htm|title= $500m of Chinese loan used on roads in Ghana, says minister |date=5 December 2012 |accessdateaccess-date = 5 June 2013}}</ref>

There is a Ghanaian [[Bus rapid transit|Bus Rapid Transit]], known as [[Metro mass Transit L.T.D]], and a [[Taxicab]] system connecting the Ghanaian big cities among themselves, and a [[Minibus]]es system, known as [[Tro tro|Tro Tros]], connecting big cities with the country's [[rural area]]s and small towns.<ref name="Commerce Ghana Adequate Transportation"/> The [[Ghana Police Service]]'s [[Motor Transport and Traffic Unit]] (MTTU) and the [[Ghana Highways Authority]] is responsible for the maintenance of the [[Road traffic control|Road Traffic Control]] of Ghana and the [[Ghana Road Network]] (Ghana national [[highway]]s and [[motorway]]s).<ref>{{cite web |author = |work= ghanapolice.info |publisher= |url = http://www.ghanapolice.info/mttu/mttu.htm |title=About MTTU|access-date= |accessdate = 5 June 2013}}</ref>

Ghana's [[Volta River]], [[Ankobra River]], and [[Tano River]] provide 168&nbsp;km of perennial navigation for [[Ship naming and launching|launches]] and [[Lighter (barge)|lighters]], and Volta Lake provides 1,125 kilometres of [[Canal|arterial and feeder waterway]].<ref name="Transport in Ghana">{{cite web |website=commonwealthofnations.org |url = http://www.commonwealthofnations.org/sectors-ghana/travel/transport/ |title=Transport in Ghana |accessdateaccess-date = 5 June 2013}}</ref> There are two main seaports in Ghana which are located in the southern coastal cities of Sekondi-Takoradi and Tema (Takoradi Harbour and Tema Harbour).<ref name="Commerce Ghana Adequate Transportation"/> The strategic [[Location (geography)|geographical location]] of Ghana to the Volta Lake and the many [[List of rivers of Ghana|rivers of Ghana]] that provide [[Inland port|inland transport]] make Ghana a very transited [[sovereign state]] for [[Cargo ship|freighters]].<ref name="The ideal gateway">{{cite web |author = |work= commonwealthgovernance.org |publisher=Government of Ghana |url = http://www.commonwealthgovernance.org/partners/ghana-ports-and-harbours-authority/|title= Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority - Port of Tema: The preferred port • Port of Takoradi: The ideal gateway|access-date= |accessdate = 5 June 2013}}</ref>

The first Ghanaian [[flag carrier]] was the [[Ghana Airways]] which commenced operations in 1958; then ceased operations in 2005 and was succeeded by the Ghana International Airlines in 2005. Ghana has a vibrant airline industry and there are five main [[airport]]s in Ghana: Kotoka International Airport in Greater Accra, Kumasi Airport in Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi Airport in Western Ghana, Sunyani Airport in Sunyani, and Tamale Airport in Tamale. In addition, Ghana has a total of 8 [[airports]], of which the most transited is the Kotoka International Airport located in Accra, with a transit in 2009 of 1.2 million passengers.<ref>{{cite web |work = Ghana Airports |url = http://www.ghanaairports.com.gh/statistics.html |title = Kotoka International Airport - Flight Statistics |accessdateaccess-date = 5 June 2013 |url-status = dead |archiveurlarchive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110913124853/http://www.ghanaairports.com.gh/statistics.html |archivedatearchive-date = 13 September 2011 }}</ref>

In 2005, [[Ghana International Airlines]] (GIA) began services as the new national airline of Ghana. GIA operated [[Boeing 757]] and [[Boeing 767]] aircraft under [[wet lease]] arrangements with other airlines, and connected [[Kotoka International Airport]] in Accra with [[Gatwick Airport|London Gatwick]] and [[Düsseldorf]]. After several years GIA also ceased operations. After the cessation of operations of [[Ghana International Airlines]] in 2010, major airlines of Ghana are [[Africa World Airlines]], [[Antrak Air]], [[CTK – CiTylinK]] and [[Starbow Airlines]] which fly to [[Domestic flight|domestic destinations]] in Ghana, around the world and to main flight points of the Africa continent. There are also some commercial airlines running domestic flights between the major cities in Ghana.<ref>{{cite web |work= Aero Transport Data Bank |url = http://www.aerotransport.org/php/go.php?q=Ghana+International+Airlines |title = Ghana International Airlines |accessdateaccess-date=5 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work = Antrak Air|url = http://www.antrakair.com/aboutantrakair.aspx|title = Company Profile|accessdateaccess-date = 5 June 2013|url-status = dead|archiveurlarchive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120104154223/http://www.antrakair.com/aboutantrakair.aspx|archivedatearchive-date = 4 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |work= CTK-CiTylinK |url = http://www.flycitylink.com/ |title = Home |accessdateaccess-date = 5 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |work = Starbow airlines |url = http://www.flystarbow.com/?p=51 |title = Who we are - Flystarbow |accessdateaccess-date = 5 June 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111211210320/http://www.flystarbow.com/?p=51 |archive-date = 11 December 2011 |url-status = dead }}</ref> In 2010, Ghana planned for the revival of [[Ghana Airways]] to commence [[commercial aviation]].<ref>{{cite web |author = |work=ghana.gov.gh |publisher=Government of Ghana |url = http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/news/general-news/2551-government-to-review-management-of-ariks-proposal-to-revive-ghana-airways |title=Government To Review Proposal To Revive Ghana Airways|date=25 June 2010 |accessdateaccess-date = 5 June 2013}}</ref> At present there exists no Ghanaian airline providing long-haul international services.

Between 2009 and 2013, the number of air passengers in Ghana more than quadrupled.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IS.AIR.PSGR|title=Air transport, passengers carried - Data|publisher=}}</ref>