KNUST SRC negotiates for private shuttle system to return; the good and the bad

 

CampRide Bus

The KNUST SRC President Master Frank Owusu on Monday 13th February confirmed through a tweet that his administration has negotiated for private shuttles to augment the services provided by the Campride.

Over the years, transportation on and off campus have been a major challenge for students. Students would have to go through hell before moving from one point to another. The situation has become worse now especially when the university increases freshmen intake year in year out. One would have to join a long queue in order to join a shuttle that is even overcrowded which is not condusive for students. 

Students are mostly late or even absent from classes because of transport challenges. The SRC president Master Frank Owusu in his tweet earlier on in the week confirmed that his administration has negotiated for the reintroduction of the private shuttle system. However, many students have expressed some mixed feelings about the resurgence of private shuttles.

Frank Owusu, KNUST SRC President 

The introduction of private shuttles will mean that students will have the opportunity to pay for their own transport on a daily basis amidst paying GHS 80.5 for the campus bus as prescribed in the school fee schedule. So we ask paying all these amount and yet the SRC goes around to negotiate for students to pay for transportation on campus were they really thinking about students? Was that the best way to go about the transportation issue?

In 2016 students used to pay 70 pesewas for private shuttles until there was un upward surge in prices which made students complain about the burden on them. The cries and plead of students reached the then Vice Chancellor, the ever zealous Professor Obiri Danso and he procured the first campRide buses and canceled the private shuttle system. For the SRC to go back in time and bring an abolished system back we don't know the direction this SRC is going. Is there not any other way to resolve the issue of transportation other than students paying for what they have already paid for?

The private shuttle system over the years have been nothing but a failure since students are not willing to pay for transportation when they have already paid GHC80.50 per year for campus bus. The SRC budget this year captured a 90000GHC bus shelter project which students are still questioning why. Are students interest the priority?

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