New Ayalolo contra-flow service turns gridlock into VIP joyride and commuters want it forever
By Phillip Antoh
Accra commuters have a blunt message for President John Dramani Mahama: Keep this bus rolling.
The government’s new Ayalolo Bus Rapid Transit contra-flow service on three major corridors has turned brutal peak-hour commutes into fast, cheap, air-conditioned wins, passengers say and they are begging officials not to make it a “nine-day wonder.”
Riders on the Kasoa Accra, Adenta Accra and Amasaman Accra routes say the buses are faster, more affordable and far more comfortable than sweating through traffic in trotros.
Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Minister Mahama Ayariga, who floated the plan after taking office last month, ditched his V8 on Day 1 and rode with passengers giving them a direct shot at airing their gripes.
The reviews are in. And they’re glowing.
A nursing mother on the Kasoa bus to the Central Business District said she and her husband spotted the Ayalolo. She wanted to board. He refused, convinced the trip would take four hours and jumped in a taxi instead.
She got to work in under an hour. When she called her husband, he was still stuck at Weija.
“Today I am so excited,” she said. “I encouraged him to board it, but he refused, thinking it takes about four hours. I joined the Ayalolo while he took a taxi, not knowing there was a convoy leading us. We spent less than one hour on the road. When I arrived and called my husband, he was still at Weija.”
She added: “Mahama has done well; he should continue the good work. Even though I voted for the NPP, from today I am going to vote for the NDC.”
Another commuter heading from Accra to Kasoa said the motorcade-cleared ride was so smooth she felt like the First Lady.
“God bless you. I have never arrived home this early before. Within one hour, we reached Kasoa. Today I am a VIP lady because we had a motorcade leading us,” she said. “The trotro drivers have been cheating us charging 30 cedis and above but today I paid only 8 cedis to Kasoa. They should reduce their fares so we can patronise them, but for me, I have stopped. I will always go for Ayalolo henceforth.”
A young commuter from the Madina corridor said he had endured years of extortion, harsh weather and daily traffic torture. The Ayalolo bus, he said, was comfortable, affordable and quick and the motorcade made him feel like a big man.
“We usually see only the President and ministers moving with a convoy, but today, as an ordinary person, I experienced it from Madina to Accra,” he said. “We thank them.”
Another Madina passenger said the bus was a welcome break from hot, rickety trotros.
“It is a good idea because when you sit in a trotro there is always heat, but not with this. Today we were like mini presidents,” he said. “From Madina to Accra used to be very challenging because of serious traffic, but this took less than 30 minutes. We will take it every day. Please continue do not stop it.”
One rider singled out Ayariga, also MP for Bawku Central, saying the trip made her feel like part of the presidency.
“The minister has done well. Today I felt like I was part of the presidency. It was so quick it took less than 20 minutes, whereas in the past it could take about two hours, and sometimes you arrive with swollen feet,” she said. “I am sure those who did not board it are regretting it.”
She said she used to avoid Ayalolo buses because they got stuck in the same traffic as commercial vehicles. With the motorcade, she’s back as long as the government keeps it going. She predicted word will spread fast, especially with the cheap fares.
The government rolled out the contra-flow arrangement Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. It runs from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., with designated sections temporarily reconfigured to let authorized Ayalolo buses travel in the priority direction against the normal flow of traffic.
The lanes are strictly reserved for Ayalolo BRT buses. Private vehicles, taxis, trotros and other unauthorized road users are banned from using them.
The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs is working with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service, the Greater Accra Passenger Transport Executive and the Department of Urban Roads. MTTD will provide traffic control and enforcement at strategic points and major intersections.
The government says it will keep engaging transport operators, road users, local authorities and other stakeholders as the intervention rolls out.
For Accra’s exhausted commuters, it’s a taste of VIP life. For the government, it’s a pressure test. And the message from the bus is loud and clear: Don’t stop it now.