STC denies discriminating against Upper East Region in bus allocation

The company says buses are deployed according to passenger demand, availability and operational schedules, rather than being reserved for specific regions.

The response follows concerns raised by Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Atanga Akamugri, over frequent bus breakdowns, ticketing difficulties and cancelled routes, which have disrupted transportation services in the region.

Speaking to Citi News, STC Deputy Managing Director, Alhaji Nuru Hamidan, acknowledged the company’s shortage of buses but maintained that it does not discriminate in allocating vehicles to different destinations.

“Everybody in Ghana knows that STC does not have enough buses. We have granted numerous interviews to explain our fleet challenges and account for our operations. At STC, we do not allocate specific buses to specific regions.

“Our buses operate on schedules. When a passenger books a ticket, the available bus serves that journey. We do not have particular buses reserved for Kumasi, Cape Coast or other regions, so we do not discriminate.” he said.

He explained that available buses operate according to established schedules, with passengers assigned to whichever vehicles are available for their journeys.

He further disclosed that STC is benefiting from partnerships with private transport operators, citing a company identified as GH, which has acquired 50 buses to support services on the Kumasi-Accra route.

According to him, STC is engaging the company to extend the partnership to other parts of the country, including northern Ghana, to improve transport services.

“We also have alliance buses. For instance, a company called GH has acquired 50 buses and partnered with us to operate on the Kumasi-Accra route. We are appealing to them to extend the arrangement to other regions. If that happens, some of those buses will be deployed there,” he indicated.

The company maintains that the challenges confronting its operations are largely linked to its inadequate fleet and not deliberate discrimination against passengers travelling to the Upper East Region.