A journey to Ghana is one of the adventures one must have in their lifetime and in visiting Ghana transportation is available to make it enjoyable.
Entering Ghana
Travellers enter Ghana by Air through the only KIA airport: An international airport which was recently renovated and upgraded into a status comparable to most international airports. By road through the various borders bounded by Cote I’voire to the west, Togo to the east and Burkina Faso to the north.
Entry from the west border is through Elubo in the Western Region and other border towns through the Western North, Bono, Savanna and Upper East regions.
Entry from the east is through Aflao and other border towns along the Volta, Oti, Northern, North East and Upper East regions.
There a number of unapproved routes which are used but which constitutes a breach if one uses those routes to enter the country.
By sea through the Atlantic Ocean named along the coast as Gulf of Guinea. It was notably the main source of arrival of the colonial masters before the emergence of aeroplanes.
Transportation within Ghana
Transport within Ghana is accomplished by road, rail, air and water.
Commuting By Road in Ghana
Public transport – Intra City
Mostly for intra-city movements travelers can access the local ‘Trotro’ , taxi, motor (okada) which is quite popular but unathorised. The okada is not regulated and therefore may not be insured and one patronises at their own risk. The trotros are smaller buses that carry between 10-15 passengers and make short stops to offload and onload passengers. The journey could delay based on the distance and the number of stops. They can however be aggressive drivers and on a good day can make your trip effective. The fares for even the longest journeys of say 6-7 miles could be about $0.40 (Ghs 2-3). ‘
The taxis which are the traditionally coloured yellow and another colour are salon cars and are slightly expensive. They are mostly registered with local stations where they load passengers. Their (taxi drivers) most favorite service is the ‘dropping’ where one requests to be driven to their chosen destination outside the programed ones. ‘Dropping’ could be expensive and travelers would have to bargain hard. Quotes to foreigners are usually higher. Travelers are however advised to pick such services from the station or if referred to them by someone they know.
Rentals
Rental companies and individuals make their vehicles available for rental with owner’s own drivers. Self-drive rental is so far not that popular. Owners would only do self-drive if the customer is accompanied by a well-known individual. In visiting Ghana transportation by such means would be comfortable.
Commuting in Ghana by Tech Taxis (Ride Hailing Services)
Uber, Bolt (formerly Taxify) are available, and Yango also recently launched. The brand with lowest prices is Bolt, however their services do not compare to Uber and probably Yango. Ride hailing services have not reached all parts of Ghana yet and can only be found in the major capitals.
Buses for Long Distance (Intercity Travels):
For intercity or longer town travels, one could patronize the services of well-known transport brands like VIP, the government-owned State Transport (STC), OA Bus and a lot of other brands that have sprung up in the last 5-6 years. Travellers enjoy a lot of leg room and space within the high premium buses that take only 28-30 passengers. Their services are premium because it takes a short time to upload passengers.
Some of these buses actually travel the length or breadth of the country into other neighbouring countries like Cote d’ Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Togo. However the brand with the highest rated safety record is the STC. One may have to pay about $10 equivalent in Ghana Cedi (GHS 40-60) to move on these buses from Accra to Kumasi or Accra to Takoradi, the 3 biggest cities. Driver groups like the GPRTU which also use the mid-size 12-15 seater buses. In visiting Ghana your transportation should be enjoyable by bus.
By Air
Currently two airlines namely AWA and Passion are in operations between the four major cities namely Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale. Efforts are under way to get the Wa airstrip to also work. Visit www.ghanatalksbusiness.com/travel for their travel schedules.
By Water
Ferries connect the eastern (volta) to the mid-section (eastern) parts of the country. The two main ferry systems are from the Volta region to the Eastern Afram plains.
By Rail
The rail system had been reliable but got deteriorated until service was suspended. However two rail lines between Accra (Ghana’s capital) and another city, Tema, also in the Greater Accra region all in the southern part of Ghana The re-launched rail service functions on regular basis, however it is advisable to confirm service before you plan to use it
Travelling to Ghana should be an enjoyable experience but travelers need to plan before setting off. Visit ghanatalksbusiness.com for insights of places to visit.
