Transforming urban transportation: Making Accra the cycling city of Africa
Amidst Accra’s heavy Monday morning traffic, on this day, worsened by dawn rain, we are caught up in the common yet arduous experience of extended waits for the next available Trotro (minibus share taxis) to no end. Taller, one of these notorious ‘roadside legends’, on one hand, is busy operating what looks like a personal seat reservation service, ridiculously protecting front row seats for passengers, Trotro by trotro—as if they had an exclusive pre-booking arrangement with a day before. For us who did not have the Ghanaian ‘whom you know privilege’ that Taller offered, fighting our way through these unclaimed seats while trying to evade skilled pickpockets was the way out. Alternatively, you may use your masculine strength to push your way through to the survival seat, revealing nuanced gender dynamics hidden in our transport sector. It is apparent that with our growing urban population, issues of access, affordability and limited transport alternatives are what are primarily steering our dependence on tro-tro a.ka. mini-buses. In fact, findings from Global think tank, Copenhagen Convention Center reveal that 70% of Accra’s urban population use these ageing minibuses, shuttling in a daily dance of destinations. Despite numerous plans to usher in a modernised transportation system like the Bus Rapid Transit system, these endeavours have evidently failed, with the 2007 World Bank and GEF Trust’s USD 52 million Grant Urban Transport Project(UTP) yielding little results. The fragility of our public transport system has on the other hand encouraged many city dwellers to opt for their own private vehicles. In the last decade alone, private car ownership has increased from 1.3M to about 3.2M sustaining the trend of politics of mobility – where control of the steering wheel of an automobile symbolises social power, class and opportunity in a typical African urban domain. Transportation as a means to move cars or a means of moving people? Ghana may be considered a relatively low polluter of Greenhouse Gas emissions on the global stage, however, it is often important to zoom in on specific sectors. The energy sector is obviously a major contributor to our emissions. Alone, it was responsible for a significant 35.5% of emissions in 2016 (Nyansapo, 2022). When we take a closer look at the breakdown of these emissions, it becomes evident that the transport sector is a major driver, accounting for a substantial 47.7% of energy-related emissions. Within this category, vehicles play a key role, contributing over 7.2 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent, which corresponds to about 17% of the total emissions according to the Basel Institute for Sustainable Energy at the just-ended Africa Climate Week. Meanwhile, Ghana’s 2022 SDGs Budget and Expenditure Report showed an allocation of GHS4,823.35 million in 2022 to transport expansion. In our quest to address these issues, solutions should not be entrenched in the single known strategy of road expansion, noticeable in expansions happening in the metropolitan districts of Amasaman, Spintex-Palace Mall area and East Legon, definitive of car-oriented cities. It is true that investments towards improving Accra’s public transport have to be addressed, however associated issues like high volumes of traffic require that in proffering solutions, we avoid maladaptive solutions that can inadvertently steer us into ineffectual outcomes. Improving transport access must mean shifting to sustainable transport modes and lower transport-related Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions along the BRT corridor in Accra, addressing the common 2 hours peak-hour congestion to and from the Accra central business district which affects work productivity and stress levels accompanied by the long hours linked with non-communicable diseases, ensuring our security from pickpockets during after-work rush hours, while additionally saving USD15 billion in health and economics savings and giving better air quality outcomes for a city whose air quality on average is 1.7 times above WHO standards (Ghana’s Air Quality Index of 75 is considered to be potentially harmful to sensitive individuals) Embracing changes in the way we move around – active, shared and electric mobility options can improve the quality of our urban life and our environmental ecosystem How Accra has been a leader in urban culture and technological advancement? Over the years, Accra has proven itself as a leader in cultural representation and tech advancement. As early as the 1910s, drivers in colonial Ghana embraced the opportunities presented by technological advancements. They harnessed imported motor transport technologies to advance a wide range of local, social and economic objectives within the capital, showcasing its adaptability to change. The city also established itself as cosmopolitan, fostering cultural interactions within the global urban landscape. Accra has garnered a reputation as a highly sought-after destination for students for more than two decades. In the past decade alone, virtually every prominent American university, including prestigious institutions like Harvard, Michigan, Rutgers, and Colorado, sent its students to partake in various programs in Ghana. The nine-campus University of California for example, has been running year-abroad programs in the country since the early 1990s. While, New York University has a large property that regularly hosts students and professors from their campuses. Beyond Accra’s warm hospitality and destination for diverse visitors looking to savour the essence of Africa. The City hosts the Chale Wote Street Art Festival, one of the most significant and vibrant arts and cultural festivals in West Africa making it a hub for contemporary cultural dynamism. Accra’s vibrant nightlife is also a testament to its dynamism and the fusion of traditional and modern influences. Today, Accra continues to play host to those who want to enjoy the annual December in Ghana pilgrimage. Imagine what centring Accra’s urbanscape with cycling infrastructure will do for experiences like December in Accra. Ghanaian fashion Transforming Accra to become a bike-friendly city is not just about infrastructure and transportation; it’s about building an inclusive culture via cities across the world while we accommodate people from these diverse cities. Accra’s historical adaptability to technological advancements showcases our capability to embrace cycling fully. Our role as a cultural and artistic hub are indicative of our allure as a place of social interaction that cycling offers, ensuring that residents and visitors alike