Patrons of state-owned Intercity State Transport Company Limited (STC) have expressed their displeasure at the suspension of the company’s services to Tamale in the Northern Region.

The company’s management suspended operations from the south to Tamale, following the temporary closure of the Buipe and Yapei bridges.

The development, Today learnt, was affecting mostly travelers who rely on the Intercity STC coaches for safety, reliability and comfort.

The unpleasant situation has also incurred the wrath of Intercity STC users who as quickly as possible want the resumption of the services.

One of the affected patrons told journalists in an interview that “In fact, it has been a problem for us who use STC. Assuming all the private transport service providers suspend their services, imagine the socio-economic implications.”

“We just want to appeal to those in charge, especially Nana Akomea, to ensure that they reactivate the movement of STC coaches in the Northern Region. I want to appeal to the Speaker of Parliament as well to look into this very delicate issue. It is not the best for us at this time of our lives because we are losing money and other things.”

The temporary closure of the Buipe and Yapei bridges in the Central Gonja District of the Northern Region is affecting socio-economic activities in the area and beyond.

Roads and Highways Minister, Kwasi Amoako Atta, ordered the temporary measure for routine maintenance ahead of the Christmas.

He estimated that the rehabilitation works would last for four weeks, and proposed that motorists should use the Eastern Corridor, Fufulso-Sawla and Central routes as alternatives.

Since the closure, motorists from the Sahel and Northern and Upper East Regions have been stranded at the bridges site due to the long hours they have to spend waiting for their turns to cross.

Commercial transport service providers including the VVIP have been compelled to use the Salaga-Makango Ferry through Yeji to connect to the southern part of the country.

Transporters of perishable farm produce to the south are in bad business because of the number of days they spend on the road.

The two main bridges connect Ghana to neighbouring countries including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Togo.

The proper construction of the Daboya bridge together with Buipe and Yapei will begin in 2018.

According to the minister, each of the three new bridges is estimated at 25 million US dollars each.