Transport in Ghana

Transport in Ghana is accomplished by road, rail, air and water.

Ghana's transportation and communications networks are
centered in the southern regions, especially the areas in which
gold, cocoa, and timber are produced. The northern and central
areas are connected through a major road system.[1]

Increased transport investment helped to increase the number of

new vehicle registrations and transportation alternatives include
rail, road, ferry, marine and air.[1] A collage of the Transport in Ghana and public
transport systems in Ghana: Airbus A320 of a
Ghana Regional Airline in Ghana, Taxicab system
in Ghana,
Contents Bus Rapid Transit of Metro mass Transit L.T.D in
Ghana, Railway Station and Kumasi Railway
Railways Station in Ghana, and Ferryboat transportation in
Rail expansion initiatives Ghana.
Rail transport
Service pending
Gauge conversion
Highways
International highways
Ferries and waterways
Marine transport
Seaports and harbours
Merchant marine
Aviation
Airports - with paved runways
Airports - with unpaved runways
See also
References
External links

Railways
The railway system in Ghana has historically been confined to the plains south of the barrier range on mountains north of the city
of Kumasi. However, the 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge railway, totalling 935 kilometres, is presently undergoing major
rehabilitation and inroads to the interior are now being made. In Ghana, most of the lines are single tracked, and in 1997, it was
estimated that 32 kilometres were double tracked.

Rail expansion initiatives

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 to Bolgatanga and Paga to Burkina Faso; a line from Wenchi, Bole to
Wa and Hamile and also to Burkina Faso, and a line to Yendi where there are
iron ore deposits.[2]

Over the next two years, there were various studies[3] and in 2007, work
began.[4]

In March 2007, a Private Public Partnership was proposed to rehabilitate the

Eastern Railway from Accra to Ejisu and Kumasi, with an extension from Ejisu
via Mampong, Nkoranza, Tamale, Bolgatanga and Paga, with a branch from
Tamale to Yendi and Sheini. The extension starts at Kumasi and will cost Ghana's railway network.
$1.6b.[5]

There was another proposal in September 2007 to extend the Western Railway
from Awaso via Techiman, Bole, Sawla, Wa to Hamile.[6]

In February 2008, the Ghana General News reported that the Ministry of
Harbours and Railways and the Ghana Railway Corporation (GRC) expected to
complete a new commuter line linking Accra and Tema by June 2008. The Railway Station in Kumasi, March
formation was complete from Sakumono to the SSNIT flats near Tema. Diesel 2002
multiple-unit trainsets will be imported for use on the line.[7] Construction of
sleeper plant for the far north line was also initiated in 2008.

Rail transport
The Ghana railway network occupies a total rail route length and rail track
length of 947 km and 1300 km, comprising national rail lines that do not go
outside of Ghana and the Ghana national border.[8] Ghana railway network is
limited to south Ghana and the southern part of Ghana within the Greater Accra Ghana Railways Engine No. 1670 in
region, Central region, Western region, Eastern region and Ashanti region of Kumasi, June 2005
south Ghana.[8]

There are plans underway that revamp the operations of

the Ghana Railway Corporation and Ghana Railway
Company to make it more viable, and to attract private
sector participation.[8] Concession agreements have
been signed by the Ghana Railway Corporation for the
development and extension of the Ghana Eastern Rail
Line and the rehabilitation of the Ghana Western Rail
Line.[8]

The major rail routes in Ghana are the Ghana Eastern

Rail Line that connects Kumasi to Koforidua, and the
Ghana Western Rail Line that connects Kumasi to
Sekondi-Takoradi, Sunyani and Cape Coast.[8] In 2010, A railway map of Ghana showing dates of construction.
Ghana Railway Corporation began a GH₵12.9 billion
(US$6 billion) rail project at the construction of the
Ghana rail infrastructure to Ghana 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
(CHR) and the Chinese National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC).[9]
Service pending
These towns are proposed to be served by rail:

Ejisu
Kintampo
Paga - near Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast borders.
Hamile - far northwest corner (Contracts were made for railway extensions in July 2007.)
Boankra Inland Port (under construction)[10]

Gauge conversion
Korean engineers studying the building of new lines in February 2007 were also to consider conversion to standard
gauge.[11][12][13][14][15][16]

Highways
Road transport is by far the dominant carrier of freight and passengers in
Ghana's land transport system. It carries over 95% of all passenger and freight
traffic and reaches most communities, and is classified under three categories of
trunk roads, urban roads, and feeder roads.[17] The Ghana Highway Authority,
established in 1974 is tasked with developing and maintaining the country's
trunk road network totaling 13,367 km, which makes up 33% of Ghana's total
road network of 40,186 km.[18]

Trunk roads in Ghana are classified as National roads, Regional roads, and Inter-
regional roads, all of which form the Ghana road network. National roads, The Adome Bridge crosses the Volta
designated with the letter N, link all the major population centers in Ghana. River.

Regional roads, designated with the letter R, are a mix of primary and secondary
routes, which serve as feeder roads to National roads; while Inter-Regional
roads, designated with the prefix IR, connect major settlements across regional borders.

With respect to this mode of transport, many people prefer to use the public means. Many of the town and cities in the country
can be reached by the use of urban buses known as "trotro" or taxis. For inter-regional transport bigger buses are normally used.

The Ghana road network is

64,323 km and road
transportation is the most
dominant choice of transportation
in Ghana.[19] 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.[19] There has been an Dual Carriageway with a Stop Traffic Circle in Greater Accra, Ghana.
increased investment and Sign in Akosombo, Eastern
expansion in the road region, Ghana.
transportation of Ghana, GH₵1
billion (US$500 million) in
2012.[20]

There is a Ghanaian Bus Rapid Transit, known as Metro mass Transit L.T.D, and a Taxicab system connecting the Ghanaian big
cities among themselves, and a Minibuses system, known as Tro Tros, connecting big cities with the country's rural areas and
small towns.[19] 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 of Ghana and the Ghana Road Network (Ghana national highways
and motorways).[21]

International highways
The Trans–West African Coastal Highway, part of the Trans-African Highway
network crosses Ghana along the N1, connecting it to Abidjan, (Ivory Coast),
Lomé, (Togo) and to Benin and Nigeria. Eventually the highway will connect to
another seven Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) nations
to the west. The N2, which connects Tema in the Greater Accra Region to
Kulungugu in the Upper East Region; the N10, which connects Yamoransa in the

Tamale bus rapid transit system Central Region to Paga in the Upper East Region; and the N12, which connects
Elubo in the Western Region to Hamile in the Upper West Region;[22] all
connect Ghana to landlocked Burkina Faso, where it joins another highway in
the Trans-African network, the Trans-Sahelian Highway.

Ferries and waterways

The Volta, Ankobra, and Tano rivers provide 168 km of perennial navigation for
launches and lighters; Lake Volta provides 1,125 kilometres of arterial and
feeder waterway.

There are ferries on Lake Volta at Yeji and Kwadjokrom.

Marine transport

Seaports and harbours The Volta River is the largest artificial

lake in the world by surface area.
There are ports on the Atlantic Ocean at
Takoradi and Tema. Tema Port in South
Ghana, officially opened in 1962, is the bigger of the two seaports in Ghana, and is
Africa's largest manmade harbour. It has a water-enclosed area of 1.7 square kilometres
Container ships and (0.66 sq mi) and a total land area of 3.9 square kilometres (1.5 sq mi).[23] Apart from
Merchant ships being handling goods for Ghana, it is also a traffic junction, where goods are transhipped, and
loaded and unloaded at the transit cargo destined for the landlocked countries to the north of Ghana.[23]
Intermodal freight transport
of Tema Port. The port of Tema handles the majority of the nation's import and export cargo and most of
the country's chief exports is shipped from Sekondi-Takoradi and Tema.[23] The port of
Tema has 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) of breakwaters, 12 deepwater berths, an outsize oil tanker
berth, a dockyard, warehouses, and transit sheds. The port has open and covered areas for the storage of cargo, including a
77,200-m² (7.72-hectare) paved area for the storage of containers, steel products and other conventional cargo.[23] The port's
container yard is capable of holding over 8,000 TEUs at any given time. The closed storage area, which is about 25,049 m² (2.51
hectares) in area, consists of six sheds with a total storage capacity of 50,000 tonnes of cargo. The port also includes a 100,000
dwt dry dock and slipway facility.[23] The Tema and Takoradi harbours in South Ghana are operated by the Ghana Ports and
Harbours Authority.

Merchant marine
There are six ships (with a volume of 1,000 gross tonnage (GT) or over) totaling 13,484 GT/18,583 tonnes deadweight (DWT).
This includes two petroleum tankers and four refrigerated cargo vessels (1999 estimates).

Ghana's Volta River, Ankobra River, and Tano River provide 168 km of
perennial navigation for launches and lighters, and Volta Lake provides 1,125
kilometres of arterial and feeder waterway.[24] 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).[19] The strategic geographical
location of Ghana to the Volta Lake and the many rivers of Ghana that provide
inland transport make Ghana a very transited sovereign state for freighters.[25]

Inland water transport in Ghana includes the movement of passengers by ferry or

water taxis and cargo on rivers, lakes and other water bodies in Ghana and Water taxis on Volta Lake in Ghana
Ghana has a ferry transportation system on Volta Lake at Yeji and
Kwadjokrom.[25] The Volta Lake is the major inland water transport facility that
is efficiently regulated to transport passengers and cargo.[25] The main transport service provider on the Volta Lake is the Volta
Lake Transport Company Limited (VLTC).[19] The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and Ghana Railway Corporation and the
Volta River Authority collectively have oversight responsibility over the Volta Lake and the Volta Lake Transport Company
Limited (VLTC).[19]

Aviation
On July 4, 1958, the Ghanaian government established Ghana Airways
connecting Ghana with other countries. By the mid-1990s, Ghana Airways
operated international scheduled passenger and cargo service to numerous
European, Middle Eastern, and African destinations, including London,
Düsseldorf, Rome, Abidjan, Dakar, Lagos, Lomé, and Johannesburg. As a result
of persistent management and financial problems, Ghana Airways ceased all
operations and entered into liquidation in 2004.[26]
Kotoka International Airport in Accra,
Ghana has twelve airports, six with hard surfaced runways. The most important Kumasi International Airport in
Kumasi, and Sekondi-Takoradi
are Kotoka International Airport at Accra and airports at Sekondi-Takoradi,
Airport in Sekondi-Takoradi.
Kumasi, and Tamale that serve domestic air traffic. In 1990, the government
spent US$12 million to improve Accra's facilities. Workmen resurfaced the
runway, upgraded the lighting system and built a new freight terminal. Construction crews also extended and upgraded the
terminal building at Kumasi. In early 1991, the government announced further plans to improve Accra's international airport. The
main runway was upgraded, improvements were made in freight landing and infrastructure, and the terminal building and the
airport's navigational aids were upgraded.[26]

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 airports
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.[27]

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 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, DC-10 of the Ghana Airways
CTK – CiTylinK and Starbow Airlines which fly to 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.[28][29][30][31] In 2010, Ghana
planned for the revival of Ghana Airways to commence commercial aviation.[32] 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.[33]

Airports - with paved runways

Kotoka International Airport
total: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m:not true

1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 2

See also
Ghana
List of airports in Ghana
This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook website
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factb
ook/index.html).

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incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. [1] (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/about.html)
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6. Rail Gazette International September 2007 p. 523
7. Africa, Railways. "Railways Africa" (https://www.railwaysafrica.com/). Railways Africa.
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s/single-view/view/essential-renewals-must-pave-the-way-for-ambitious-expansion-strategy.html). Railway
Gazette. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
9. "Ghana, China signs railway contract" (http://www.ghananewslink.com/index.php?id=10515).
ghananewslink.com. 30 November 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
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12. "Ghana News :: Trains go North ::: Breaking News | News in Ghana | news" (https://archive.is/20070701221114/h
ttp://www.myjoyonline.com/news/200708/7194.asp). Archived from the original (http://www.myjoyonline.com/new
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s/news_detail.php?newsid=4453&section=9)
14. National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers (RMT): UAE group signs Ghana rail deal (http://www.rmtbri
stol.org.uk/2007/08/uae_group_signs_ghana_rail_dea.html) Archived (https://archive.is/20120911062631/http://w
ww.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/08/uae_group_signs_ghana_rail_dea.html) 2012-09-11 at Archive.today
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pandable=0). Archived from the original (http://mrt.gov.gh/pages.asp?page_Id=1&expandable=0) on 2009-11-13.
Retrieved 2010-06-20.
18. "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110418040119/http://www.highways.gov.gh/index.php?option=co
m_content&view=article&id=21&Itemid=28). Archived from the original (http://www.highways.gov.gh/index.php?o
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19. "Commerce Ghana Adequate Transportation" (http://www.commerceghana.com/why-invest-in-ghana/transportati
on-in-ghana). commerceghana.com. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
20. "$500m of Chinese loan used on roads in Ghana, says minister" (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2012-12/
05/content_15986854.htm). chinadaily.com.cn. China Daily. 5 December 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
21. "About MTTU" (http://www.ghanapolice.info/mttu/mttu.htm). ghanapolice.info. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
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b.archive.org/web/20090304053635/http://www.ghanaports.gov.gh/GPHA/tema/index.html) 2009-03-04 at the
Wayback Machine. ghanaports.gov.gh. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
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commonwealthofnations.org. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
25. "Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority - Port of Tema: The preferred port • Port of Takoradi: The ideal gateway" (ht
tp://www.commonwealthgovernance.org/partners/ghana-ports-and-harbours-authority/).
commonwealthgovernance.org. Government of Ghana. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
26. Clark, Nancy L. "Civil Aviation". A Country Study: Ghana (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/ghtoc.html) (La Verle Berry,
editor). Library of Congress Federal Research Division (November 1994). This article incorporates text from this
source, which is in the public domain.[2] (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/about.html)
27. "Kotoka International Airport - Flight Statistics" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110913124853/http://www.ghanaai
rports.com.gh/statistics.html). Ghana Airports. Archived from the original (http://www.ghanaairports.com.gh/statist
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28. "Ghana International Airlines" (http://www.aerotransport.org/php/go.php?q=Ghana+International+Airlines). Aero
Transport Data Bank. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
29. "Company Profile" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120104154223/http://www.antrakair.com/aboutantrakair.aspx).
Antrak Air. Archived from the original (http://www.antrakair.com/aboutantrakair.aspx) on 4 January 2012.
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30. "Home" (http://www.flycitylink.com/). CTK-CiTylinK. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
31. "Who we are - Flystarbow" (https://web.archive.org/web/20111211210320/http://www.flystarbow.com/?p=51).
Starbow airlines. Archived from the original (http://www.flystarbow.com/?p=51) on 11 December 2011. Retrieved
5 June 2013.
32. "Government To Review Proposal To Revive Ghana Airways" (http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/news/general-
news/2551-government-to-review-management-of-ariks-proposal-to-revive-ghana-airways). ghana.gov.gh.
Government of Ghana. 25 June 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
33. "Air transport, passengers carried - Data" (http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IS.AIR.PSGR).

External links
Media related to Transport in Ghana at Wikimedia Commons

Railway News - Ghana (http://railwaynews.blogspot.com/search/label/Ghana)

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