Ghana's public transport sector has become the latest addition to the government’s digitalization drive, following the launch of Tap and Go, a digital service for the transport sector.

Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, launched the Tap and Go Transport Service in Accra on Monday, February 19 at the Head Office of Metro Mass Limited.

Metro Mass Limited thus became the first intra and inter-city public transport service to onboard the unique digital platform.

The Tap and Go Transport Service is a digital platform for multiple public transport services, including a digital card preloaded with cash, which can be used to pay for transport fares by tapping the card on a fixed machine on a bus or rail.

It also has a virtual card option on mobile phones, which can be selected through the Tap and Go app, for those who don't wish to use the physical card.

Speaking at the launch, Dr. Bawumia said, the Tap and Go transport service, like all other digital initiatives undertaken so far, is meant to address systemic challenges in the public transport sector, improve efficiency, and also help fight corruption.

"Today's launching of the Tap and Go Transport service for Metro Mass Inter-City Services is our latest digital initiative for the transport sector," Dr Bawumia said.

"It is a momentous occasion in our journey towards a more efficient and digitally empowered transportation system."

Dr. Bawumia listed several challenges associated with the public transport sector, which he said, the new digital service will help address.

"Ghana's public transport system is faced with several challenges. Notably, delays at stations, inability to identify passengers in case of accidents, corruption with drivers under-declaring their earnings, inability to effectively monitor vehicle activities and financial performance of vehicles, lack of access to credit due to inability of banks to verify the revenue performance of vehicles, difficulty in getting the exact amounts to pay transport fares, receiving fake currencies, different fares for the same journey, difficulty of getting change for passengers and of course robbery against cars and passengers, due to cash being carried around.," he observed.

"Government, in collaboration with the private sector, therefore, developed the Tap and Go Transport Service, to address the above problems and to help formalise the informal transport sector, with the help of a well structured and tested technology."

Speaking in detail about the initiative, Dr. Bawumia said, "The Tap and Go project, seeks to build a single system and common platform for the entire transport ecosystem of Ghana; for intra and inter-city bus services, 'trotro', loading taxi service and the call on demand uber-like service."

"The solution, is to provide a single transport card for all commuting payments in Ghana, hence the Tap and Go system, which was developed by local talents here in Ghana."

Dr Bawumia added that the new Tap and Go digital system, unlike the Ayalolo card, which was only limited to the intra-city Ayalolo bus, is expansive and tailored to support other public transport services including parcel delivery and tracking, taxi hailing, inter-city city bus services, inner-city bus services such as Metro Mass and Ayalolo.

"Soon we are looking forward to bringing on board the GPRTU 'trotro' services which will be integrated seamlessly," he noted.

"The latest version of Tap and Go, developed locally by talented young Ghanaians, marks a notable advancement from the one which was only for the Ayalolo buses, and had very limited features," he said.

As he has often stressed, Dr Bawumia, was once again optimistic that the Tap and Go digital platform will help reduce corruption, especially in Metro Mass Transport, a state-owned public transport service.

"The launch of ‘Tap and Go’, beginning with the inter-city Metro Mass Transport Service, will benefit Metro Mass Transport Service and the General public, just as our other digital interventions."

"I am confident the Tap and Go system will serve as a powerful tool in addressing these issues to ensure transparency in ticketing, mitigate revenue losses, reduce waiting times at terminals, and optimize operational costs."

Vice President Bawumia urged stakeholders in the transport sector to "embrace this opportunity with open arms and work together towards a future where every journey is safe, efficient, transparent and accessible to all."