Accra could soon get a light rail system to replace the current Aayalolo contra-flow arrangement, Local Government Minister, Mahama Ayariga, has revealed.
According to him, President John Dramani Mahama has asked him to start talks on building rail lines on four busy corridors that move thousands of people in and out of the capital daily.
The move, he said, is aimed at finding a lasting fix for the city’s worsening traffic problems, instead of relying on the temporary contra-flow measure.
Under the contra-flow plan, specially marked Aayalolo buses are permitted to drive in the opposite lane on chosen roads, helping them dodge heavy traffic and get passengers to their destinations faster.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, which was monitored by Ghanaian Radar, Mr Ayariga said the system had cut travel time considerably, but the President wants a more durable mass transit option for the future.
He said he has therefore been directed to consult the appropriate agencies and assess how light rail could be rolled out on the four routes now using contra-flow.“
The President said, ‘contra-flow is good, but look at light rail as your more permanent solution going into the future,’ and so I am commencing conversations with the Railway Authority for us to see how we can begin to look at light rail along the four major routes that bring in a lot of the people in and out of the city.”
The contra-flow intervention was rolled out to ease movement on some of Accra’s most congested stretches, especially during rush hours when workers and traders spend long hours in traffic. By allowing buses to use lanes flowing the other way, the scheme was meant to make bus travel quicker and more dependable for people commuting between their homes and business and work hubs in the city.
But despite its gains, the arrangement still depends heavily on road conditions, traffic control, and the availability of buses and staff to keep it running.
