For thousands of people in Ghana’s capital, getting to work is becoming a daily test of patience, time and money. And when the working day ends, the struggle begins all over again. As commuters spend valuable hours waiting for vehicles, questions are mounting over the capacity of the public transport system and the government’s response to a problem that affects the everyday lives of ordinary people.

Before the sun fully rises over Accra, thousands of people are already on the move. From the busy residential communities on the outskirts of the capital to the commercial centres where many work, the morning brings a familiar scene: commuters gathered at roadside stops, passengers waiting at lorry stations, and people watching closely for the next vehicle with an available seat.

For some, the journey begins before 6 a.m. Yet leaving home early does not always guarantee arriving at work on time. A vehicle may be full before it reaches waiting passengers. A queue may barely move. And when one vehicle leaves, those who fail to secure a seat must wait for another.

The challenge returns in the evening. After hours at work, commuters must once again navigate crowded stations and compete for available transport. What should be the simple journey home can become another lengthy and exhausting part of the day.

Among the many residents who depend on commercial public transport to get around Accra is Jemima Sarpong, a worker who relies on trotros and other public transport services for her daily commute between home and work. Like thousands of other commuters who do not own private vehicles, she must navigate the morning rush to get to work and face the same uncertainty when returning home after closing.

Her experience reflects a wider reality for thousands of people whose daily routines are increasingly shaped by the availability of commercial vehicles. For them, the journey to work is not simply about distance. It is about the time spent waiting, the uncertainty of finding a seat and the possibility that, despite leaving home early, they may still arrive late.

And when work is over, the same uncertainty awaits them.

A morning that begins with waiting

The morning rush is one of the most demanding periods for public transport users in Accra. As workers, students, traders and other commuters make their way into the city, demand for vehicles rises sharply.

At busy stations and roadside loading points, passengers wait for vehicles travelling towards their destinations. Some vehicles arrive already occupied, while others have only a few seats available. Those who miss the opportunity to board must remain in the queue or move to another loading point in search of transport. For workers expected at their workplaces by 7:30 a.m. or 8:00 a.m., such delays can have serious consequences.

A JoyNews report published on January 19, 2026, highlighted the experience of commuters at the Ayalolo Bus Terminal in Amasaman. Some passengers reported waiting between 30 and 40 minutes for vehicles during the morning rush. One commuter explained that although he was expected at work by 7:30 a.m. or 8:00 a.m., the prolonged queues regularly affected his ability to report on time. Another passenger also described spending nearly 40 minutes waiting for a vehicle.

The significance of these experiences goes beyond the waiting time itself. A worker who leaves home early but spends a substantial part of the morning trying to secure transport may begin the working day already exhausted. Repeated lateness can also affect workplace performance, professional relationships and productivity.

For students, the consequences may include missed lectures and examinations. For traders and people whose earnings depend on daily business activities, delays can mean lost opportunities.

The question is how long commuters should have to organise their lives around the uncertainty of finding a vehicle.

The cost of getting home

The difficulty does not disappear when commuters reach their workplaces. In many cases, the evening journey presents another challenge.

As offices, shops, schools and other workplaces close, passengers begin making their way to transport stations. Demand rises again as workers head towards residential communities across the capital and its surrounding areas.

After a full day’s work, commuters are often confronted with long queues, limited vehicle availability and uncertainty about how soon they will get home. Some wait for vehicles at their usual stations, while others move between loading points in search of a faster option.

The consequences are personal. Time that could have been spent resting, preparing meals, studying, caring for children or attending to other responsibilities is instead spent waiting for transport.

When regular commercial vehicles are difficult to find, some commuters may turn to private vehicles or other alternatives that charge considerably more. A passenger who has waited for a long time may feel compelled to pay extra rather than risk remaining stranded or arriving home very late.

A Ghana News Agency report published in July 2026 highlighted complaints about transport fares on the Nungua-Accra route. According to the report, a journey that ordinarily cost GH¢6 was attracting fares of up to GH¢20 from some private drivers.

Although this example relates specifically to the Nungua-Accra route, it illustrates the difficult choices that can arise when passengers cannot access regular transport.

For workers on fixed incomes, unexpected increases in transport expenses can place pressure on already stretched household budgets. The additional money could otherwise have gone towards food, rent, utility bills, school expenses and other essential needs.

For someone who makes the journey to and from work every day, the cost can accumulate over the course of a month.

Why are commuters still struggling?

Accra’s transport difficulties cannot be understood simply as a shortage of vehicles at individual stations. They are connected to the city’s expansion, traffic congestion, the availability of high-capacity public transport and the way existing services are managed.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in its 2025 analysis of Accra’s transport system, observed that the city’s urban footprint expanded by about 400 per cent between 1985 and 2020. It also noted that walking and trotros remain central to daily mobility, while accessibility challenges persist and transport infrastructure needs to improve.

As residential communities expand, more people travel towards areas where employment, education, healthcare and commercial activities are concentrated. Many commuters depend on the same major roads and transport corridors, particularly during morning and evening peak periods.

Traffic congestion further complicates the situation. Commercial vehicles spend longer on the road, complete fewer trips and take more time to return to their loading stations. This reduces the number of journeys they can make and affects how quickly they can pick up waiting passengers.

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union has identified congestion as one of the factors contributing to the transport difficulties. Its National Chairman, Nana Nimako Asiamah, explained in January 2026 that drivers were unable to complete multiple trips and return to their stations quickly because of traffic in Accra. He said the situation contributed to queues during morning and evening peak periods.

However, traffic congestion is not the only concern.

In January 2026, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, raised concerns about alleged artificial vehicle shortages created by some private transport operators to increase their earnings during peak periods. He cited areas including Madina, Amasaman and Kasoa.

These explanations point to different dimensions of the problem. Traffic congestion can genuinely affect the number of trips drivers complete, while allegations of deliberate shortages and unfair fare practices require effective monitoring and enforcement.

The responsibility for addressing the crisis must therefore extend beyond passengers and individual drivers. It requires coordinated action from government, transport authorities, local assemblies and commercial transport operators.

Government must provide more buses

The situation calls for a stronger and more visible government response. Accra needs a public transport system with sufficient capacity to meet the movement of its growing population.

Ghana already has public transport institutions, including Ayalolo, Metro Mass Transit and the State Transport Company. These services are expected to complement commercial transport operators and provide commuters with more organised and dependable alternatives.

However, the operational capacity of these institutions remains a concern.

In January 2026, the Ministry of Transport acknowledged that years of underinvestment had affected state-owned transport agencies, including Metro Mass Transit, Ayalolo and the State Transport Company. Some buses had become grounded, reducing the agencies’ ability to serve commuters.

Government has announced measures to address the situation. In July 2026, the Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, announced the reallocation of GH¢400 million to acquire high-occupancy buses for Metro Mass Transit and the State Transport Company.

This is an important commitment, but the public must see it translate into tangible improvements. The allocation of funds is only one stage of the process. The buses must be procured, maintained and deployed to the routes where demand is greatest.

There must also be a clear strategy for ensuring that the vehicles remain operational. Buying buses without providing for their maintenance, spare parts, servicing and effective management will not deliver a sustainable solution.

The government should prioritise routes connecting densely populated residential communities to major employment and commercial centres. Services must be available during both morning and evening peak periods, because commuters need reliable transport not only to get to work but also to return home.

There have also been efforts to improve the efficiency of existing bus services. On September 29, 2026, an Ayalolo contra-flow arrangement began operating on selected corridors, including Amasaman, Adenta and Kasoa towards Accra’s central business district. The initiative was designed to improve bus movement during peak commuting hours.

Such interventions demonstrate the value of giving high-capacity buses priority on congested roads. However, their success will depend on adequate fleet capacity, consistent operations and wider route coverage.

On November 10, 2026, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, announced a target of transporting at least 200,000 commuters daily in Accra through an expanded public transport system involving buses and light rail.

The ambition is significant, but achieving it will require sustained investment, careful planning, financing and a clear implementation timetable. Commuters need to know how these plans will translate into more vehicles, shorter waiting times and better connections between residential communities and workplaces.

Government must move beyond announcements and provide the buses needed to ease the pressure on the existing transport system.

Beyond buses: Building a dependable transport system

Increasing the number of buses is essential, but it must form part of a wider urban transport strategy.

First, public transport services must operate according to reliable schedules. Commuters should have access to clear information about routes, departure times and service frequency. A passenger should not have to spend an uncertain amount of time at a station simply because there is no dependable alternative.

Second, traffic management must become a central part of the response. Properly planned and enforced dedicated bus lanes could help high-capacity vehicles move more efficiently during peak periods. This would also encourage more people to consider public transport as a practical alternative to private vehicles.

Third, transport authorities and unions must strengthen monitoring of commercial operators. Approved fares should be enforced, complaints should be investigated and passengers should have accessible channels to report unfair practices.

Fourth, urban planning must take transport needs into account as residential communities expand. New communities should not develop without adequate consideration of how residents will travel to workplaces, schools, hospitals and commercial centres.

Finally, government must establish measurable indicators of progress. The number of operational buses, routes covered, waiting times, passenger numbers and service frequency should be monitored and communicated to the public.

These are the results by which commuters will judge whether transport reforms are working.

The human cost of an unreliable commute

It is easy to discuss transport challenges in terms of fleets, roads, terminals, traffic and government policy. But behind every queue is a person trying to get somewhere.

There is the nurse who must report for an early shift, the teacher expected in the classroom, the trader who needs to open a shop, the national service personnel who cannot afford repeated lateness and the parent who wants to return home early enough to attend to family responsibilities.

For these people, time spent waiting for transport is not time outside the realities of everyday life. It affects their work, income, family responsibilities and well-being.

The burden is also unequal. People who can afford private vehicles or alternative transport services have more choices when commercial vehicles are unavailable. Those who depend on public transport often have to absorb the delays, uncertainty and additional costs.

Reliable public transport is therefore not merely a convenience. It is essential to economic participation, access to opportunities and the general quality of urban life.

Government must recognise that the daily commute is not a minor inconvenience resident should simply learn to endure. It requires investment, planning, accountability and sustained action.

The call is clear: provide more buses, restore and maintain existing fleets, expand high-capacity services, improve route coverage and ensure that vehicles operate reliably during the periods when people need them most.

The success of these measures should be judged not by the number of announcements made, but by whether ordinary commuters experience a real improvement in their daily journeys.

For Jemima Sarpong and thousands of other residents, progress will mean being able to leave home, find a vehicle and arrive at work without an exhausting wait. It will also mean closing from work, boarding a vehicle and returning home without having to face another prolonged struggle.

Accra’s residents deserve a transport system that respects their time, protects their pockets and allows them to get on with their lives.

Getting to work and returning home should be an ordinary part of the day. For too many people in Accra, it has become a daily struggle.

By PRINCE OPOKU DOGBEY