Consultancy Service for Public Transport Industry Transition Road Map

The INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT in Ghana from African region had released this tender for Expression of Interest are invited for Consultancy Service for Public Transport Industry Transition Road Map for Greater Kumasi; Ghana. Kumasi; the capital of the Ashanti region and the second largest city of Ghana; has seen significant demographic growth and urban expansion in the last decades. The Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area (GKMA) has a population of 3.5 million; with an estimated annual growth rate of approximately 6 percent since 2010. Between 1972 and 2012; the total built-up area of GKMA almost quintupled from approximately 98 km2 to 478 km2 (about 9.5 km2 of urban growth per year). The growth involved the expansion of the contiguously built-up area of the city itself; as well as the built-up areas of peri-urban and previously rural communities (Oduro; 2014). Walking and public transport are the main modes of transport in Kumasi; especially for low-income groups; and access to jobs by public transport modes has become increasingly difficult. Walking is the primary mode to access jobs; markets; and schools (50 percent) while public transport (minibuses – locally called trotros; taxi; and bus) and private cars constitute around 43 and 5 percent; respectively. Motorcycles; although increasingly popular; represent an insignificant proportion compared to other motorized modes. Two-thirds of the population in Kumasi do not have access to half of the city jobs within an hour’s reach using public transport (Arroyo; 2020). Mobility constraints such as congestion; lack of a proper transit system; limited road supply; and last-mile connectivity issues constrain people’s access to opportunities.The public transport sector in Kumasi has been effectively self-regulated and was recognized as such by the authorities. Unions; particularly the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU); have very effectively established their position as gatekeepers. In one sense; they have an effective framework within which new routes can be formed; a new local route is established by concertation between operators willing to exploit the route and local affiliates within the relevant branch. This issue results in granting a charter to operate the route; it is effectively a route-operating license granted by the union; not by city authorities. Union enforcement of licenses and operations is highly effective because of their control and authority over terminal operations and management. In terms of service quality; the public transport industry operates with an increasingly aging fleet of well over 10 years. Additionally; they follow inefficient and unsafe operational practices unfit for passenger transport service provision.The Trotro private informal sector is responsible for financing; owning; maintaining; and operating virtually all active public transport vehicles and carries all financial risks for their services. Except for buses purchased by the government; the trotro industry operates with an increasingly aging fleet of well above 10 years featuring inefficient and unsafe conditions unfit for public transportation service provision. Fleet renewal; modernization; and upgrade are thus urgently required. In this context; the role of informal operators becomes indispensable as it faces increasing pressure/competition to upgrade their operations and align with the on-going urban transport projects. Therefore; the re-structuring of the existing informal trotro operators as well as their professionalization and standardization is the key to providing a reliable public transport service. It is important to systemize and strategize the national support to support the public transport industry transition in Kumasi; bringing joint efforts and aligning the goals and key considerations of the public transport authorities; the users; and informal operators to develop better public transport service. The objective of this consultancy services is to develop a green transition strategy for the public transport industry; focusing on fleet renewal satrgtegies in the Greater Kumasi Area. Issue Date and Time: Jul 24,2023 05:38 Closing Date and Time: Aug 10,2023 23:59. with tender notice no. 0002002128 published on 27 Jul 2023. The tender expired on 10 Aug 2023. This tender is sourced from Official Website and is eligible for suppliers interested in consultancy services. Interested bidders can obtain further information including complete bid documents or ways to participate by registering on Tender Impulse and referencing via Tender Impulse ID 3376735.