Transport in Ghana

Especially in a developing country like Ghana has transportation a key role in shaping the overall economic process and also in terms of possibilities for the realization of future economic developments. The fact that Ghana's infrastructure, on which is based the traffic is relatively weakly developed as elsewhere in tropical Africa lies mainly in a much higher cost intensity justified that and a road and track construction in tropical Africa due to technical difficulties in comparison to Europe elsewhere entails.

  • 2.1 Major companies
  • 3.1 Major companies
  • 3.2 Other
  • 4.1 Major companies

Railway

Volume of rail transport in Ghana

Year

Freight - km ( Net tons )

Today's rail network in Ghana measures a length of about 1,300 km. The main lines connect Takoradi - Sekondi - Tarkwa - Kumasi (174 km ) and Accra - Kumasi (309 km). The first line is mainly used for the transport of manganese and gold ore to the port in Takoradi. Ghana's rail network has Cape gauge, that is, the track lines at a distance of 1.067 m.

Although export goods such as Represent cocoa or wood traditionally the largest share of the transported by rail freight, their transport shifted since the late 1970s increasingly on the road. This was due to the ever more deteriorating condition of the railway systems. Since 1976, the railway company was obliged to demand regular grants for the preservation of their investments with the State. In 1996, the government provided $ 150 million available for the expansion of routes in the west to connect to other mining areas with the port of Takoradi.

In 1995, the Ghana Railway Company had three new locomotives and 60 new wagons, which had been funded by the German Development Bank and the Japanese Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund.

OPEC Ghana has a loan of $ 5 million grant for the further expansion of the rail link between Accra and the port of Tema and an oil refinery in Tema end of 2004.

Major companies

  • Ghana Railways Corporation (GRC ),

Road

In 1996 it was estimated Ghana's road network has a total length of 37,800 km. A total of 30 km of motorway ( motorway ), 5230 km main roads ( main roads ) and 9620 km roads (secondary raods ). 24.1 % of the roads have a fixed bitumen or concrete surface. The main compounds form roughly a triangle Takoradi - Kumasi - Accra - Tema. The road network in Ghana is described in relation to the usual standard in tropical Africa as relatively good, but its maintenance is a perennial problem in Ghana. Spare parts for road vehicles have rarity status especially since their distribution system has deteriorated steadily since the early 1960s.

Volume of road transport in Ghana

Year

People motor vehicle

Truck and pickup

In 1995, the Ghanaian government had begun a five -year road expansion program, for which USD 259 million were made available. In 1996, four new roads completed, 87 km gravel, and 213 km surface renewed. 603.5 billion cedis and expected for 2000: 832.7 billion cedis and 2001: As expenses of the government for road construction in 1999 Cedis 863 700 000 000 configured. The Minister of Finance announced in 1999 at the presentation of his household budgets, the introduction of a road tax, which is levied on reconstructed and rehabilitated road sections and bridges. Intended as roads with charge status are the compounds Tema - Akosombo, Tema - Aflao, Yamoransa - Takoradi, Yamoransa - Anwiankwanta, Accra - Yamoransa, Accra - Kumasi, Kumasi - Kumasi and Dunkwa - Kintampo. With the construction of a road link Mallam - Kasoa and Kasoa - Winneba was started in 2003.

2003, funded by the Japanese government project was started, the nationwide providing for the construction of 36 bridges.

Major companies

  • Ghana Highway Authority
  • Vanef STC

Shipping

Merchant fleet of Ghana

Year

Number of ships

Overall displacement

[ 1000 GRT ]

Ghana has two deep-water ports: the developed in the 1920s the port of Takoradi and opened in 1961 the port of Tema ( near Accra ). Both are connected by rail with Kumasi. A renovation of the two ports, which has cost an estimated $ 100 million, was completed in 1990. In 1996 was begun by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority again with an expansion program for the two ports. A project in the amount of 365 million USD, which was to establish a better access to both ports, launched in 1998.

In 1996, 6.7 million tons have been shipped of goods over both ports.

Although a water area in the 1960s emerged with the Volta Dam, 400 km inland ranges from the Akosombo Dam and now offers new opportunities for small shipments from the country inside, the movement of goods on the Volta and the Volta Dam today only a relatively modest and hardly significant extent.

Major companies

  • Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority
  • Alpha ( West Africa) Line Ltd..
  • Black Star Line Ltd..
  • Liner Agencies and Trading ( Ghana) Ltd..
  • Maersk Sealand Ghana
  • Scanship (Ghana) Ltd..
  • Grimaldi Ghana Ltd..

Other

  • Ghana Shippers' Council

Civil Aviation

Volume of civil aviation in Ghana

Year

Flown kilometer

Promoted passengers

Passenger - km

Air Freight km (Total tonnes)

Ghana's current main airport is Accra -Kotoka. However, there are also airports in Kumasi, Navrongo, Sunyani, Takoradi, Tamale, Yendi and Wa A special air freight terminal in Kokoka Airport was completed in 1994. In the year 2001 622.525 passengers were handled in Kotoka Airport and handled 44 779 tonnes of air freight.

Major companies

  • Ghana Civil Aviation Authority ( GCAA )
  • Afra Airlines Ltd.
  • Gemini Airlines Ltd.. ( Aero Gem Cargo)

Special features in traffic engineering

Both in -road and rail routes in tropical Africa is the largest water problem. The huge downpour, the fall in the rainy seasons in a very short time may trigger sheet flow, which often lead to rain damage to the roads and railway embankments. This is especially the case when the derivative of the water masses, from whatever reason, can not be correct, for example, if blocked passages in the dams or are wrong. Especially in areas where man has contributed by deforestation and destruction of turf significantly to soil erosion, tear sheet flow channels in the floor, which continue even in and under the road and track body and cause Deep scratches. To counteract this we have developed in colonial times especially for tropical Africa the type of road designated as " Donga ". The Dongas the road body provided with a fixed ceiling was lowered, so that the road then at the same time acts as a drainage channel during the rainy season. During this time it is not passable. This has been implemented in the bridge, where they spoke of diving bridges ( engl. low-level bridges ) and low bridges (English semi -level bridges ). The latter shall remain passable at "smaller" rain. High bridges you have avoided in the past for reasons of cost or if, then mostly built for railroads. In the planning of traffic construction, it was assumed that one can expect in the West African rivers with a water level rise of up to 10 m after heavy rain and it can take up to weeks to flooded roads can be used again.

Footnotes

Swell

  • Africa South of the Sahara ( London ): 8 (1978 /79) 417F; . 24 (1995) 445; 30 (2001) 561f. ; 35 (2006) 533f.
  • Karl Kruger, Africa, Berlin 1952
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