Frustrated commuters in Nsawam and surrounding communities are calling on President John Dramani Mahama’s government to urgently revive the Accra-Nsawam railway line, which was left to collapse under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration.
According to residents, the once-vibrant train service, used by market women, public servants, and small business owners, was a lifeline that eased daily travel to the capital. The collapse of the railway system, they say, has created untold hardship, especially for those commuting to Accra’s ministries, agencies, and business centres.
“The train was our lifeline. Now we have to rely on greedy private transport operators who have turned our struggle into a money-making venture,” a visibly frustrated trader lamented.
Commuters complain that transport owners, exploiting the absence of the train service, have introduced segmented trips, forcing passengers to break their journeys into two or three stages especially from Medie to Accra, while paying inflated fares at each point.
They also pointed to government’s failure to extend reliable public transportation services to nearby areas such as Adjen Kotoku and the Medie as a contributing factor to worsening transport costs. According to them, the lack of state-run alternatives has emboldened private operators to charge exorbitantly and take advantage of stranded passengers.
What makes the situation worse, they added, is that these exploitative practices peak during critical hours, early mornings and late evenings, when workers and market women are commuting to and from the market or work.
“That’s when they strike the hardest, when we have no choice. In the mornings and evenings, they split trips and raise fares. They know we’re desperate,” said a commuter at the Medie bus stop.
Many believe that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government’s neglect of the railway sector has reversed key gains made under previous administrations, and see the restoration of the Nsawam-Accra line as a test of Mahama’s renewed leadership.
Residents are urging the new government to prioritize the return of the railway lines and train coaches as a means of reducing transport cost, easing traffic congestion, and reviving economic activity across the corridor.
Source: Nationaltymes.com
