Monrovia — The Government of Liberia has clarified that the new buses being brought into the country were supplied by a Ghanaian-based Brazilian manufacturer, Marcopolo.
The Ghanaian media has been raising concerns over the transport buses the Government of Liberia has brought into the country for trial.
The buses are being branded with National Transit Authority (NTA) logos and have Ghanaian license plates from the Ghanaian Aayalolo Company brand.
The branding of the two buses and sending them to Liberia for trial has sparked debates in the Ghanaian media, with the issue being discussed on live television shows in Ghana.
In one of the shows, the presenter can be heard asking the Ghanaian Transport Minister about the arrangement that led to the Ghanaian government rebranding and sending the public buses to Liberia when the Ghanaian public transport sector is equally challenged.
However, the Political Advisor to President Joseph Boakai, MacDella Cooper said contrary to the trending video on social media, the Government of Liberia received the buses from the Brazilian manufacturing company Marcopolo in Ghana, not Aayalolo as is being insinuated.
Madam Cooper told local media that the buses meet the necessary standards and that the President is satisfied with their condition.
Meanwhile, the National Transit Authority (NTA) has yet to explain the arrangement that led to the buses arriving in Liberia, despite inquiries from FrontPage Africa.
Aayalolo is a bus rapid transit system inaugurated on November 25, 2016, in Ghana and operates in the Ghanaian capital, Accra.
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Marcopolo S.A. is a Brazilian bus, coach, and rail manufacturer, founded on August 6, 1949, in the southern Brazilian city of Caxias do Sul, state of Rio Grande do Sul.
On Monday, President Boakai dispatched a team of top government officials to inspect the two buses at the Executive Mansion, alongside the Marcopolo team who declined to be named or mentioned.
President Boakai's inspectorate team was led by his Political Advisor, Madam MacDella Cooper, Senior Advisor Dr. Augustine Konneh, and the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Sylvester Grigsby.
Madam Cooper asserted that the bus initiative comes at a time when the Liberia National Transit Authority (NTA) is facing severe bus shortages, affecting public transport services and making it difficult for University of Liberia students to commute to and from school.
"The arrival of these buses will significantly enhance our transportation system, and the President is pleased with the quality of the buses as we look forward to the remaining 300 to arrive soon," Madam Cooper said.
Officials says that the arrival of the initial two buses is the first step that will subsequently lead to improvements in Liberia's public transportation system, as the government is contemplating bringing in about 300 buses once the initial two prove to be useful.
