The Federal Transport Administration (FTA) of the United States of America is assisting Ghana to open an institute to train public officials in management, operations and maintenance of public transportation systems.

The Charge de Affaires at the U. S. Embassy, Madam Elizabeth Raspolic said the training institute would be similar to the US National Transit Institute at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Ms Raspolic announced this at the opening of a three-day West Africa Sub-Regional workshop for transport experts, policy maker and engineers.

The workshop aims to assist in building knowledge concerning the effective operation of public transportation to ease congestion, improve environmental air quality and safety of the public transportation system.

Madam Raspolic said the FTA is also working in collaboration with institutions of higher education such as Boston University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US to develop courses that would meet the needs of transportation officials in developing countries. She said the FTA is providing information and support for courses in other countries, such as the course on sustainable transportation to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa next month.

She recalled a visit from the Federal Highway Administration to Accra last year to explore the opening of a technology transfer centre in West Africa and expressed the hope that agreements to that effect would be finalised this year. Madam Raspolic expressed the readiness of the United States government to assist in facilitating trade and technology transfer to Ghana and other West African countries.

Roads and Transport Minister, Dr Richard Anane underscored the importance of road transportation in the movement of goods and people in the sub region, but noted that the system is chaotic, characterised by congestion in the city centres and poor quality service from private sector operators.

He said there is also high incidence of road accidents and poor environmental standards. Dr Anane said these negative characteristics of transportation in the Sub-Region are the result of difficulty in accessing funding by transport operators, the use of low capacity vehicles for mass transportation.