Imagine a Ghana without transport systems; how would you have moved from outside the Central Region of Cape Coast to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the castles and the fishing sites of Elmina. How would you have moved from the southern regions of Ghana to Ashanti to witness what evidences one of the greatest empires to ever exist in sub Saharan Africa, or even the majesty of the Saharan northern region.
But now is not the time to relish the glory of Ghana – today we take a look at how to get to where you want to get to. The Accra to Kumasi to route is one of the most traversed in this country; both by air and land. The journey is really one to savour. Whether you are going by aircraft or you are going by a public transport bus let us assess both alternatives, the cost and time involved, and just maybe we might be able to help you make a decision on which transport means to choose the next time you travel to Kumasi.
Road Trip
So first we talk about road transport, and by that we are referring mainly to public bus transport. The most common and probably the most used of the two. Basically you have two transport agency options; the V.I.P Transport Services buses and the state-owned Intercity STC buses. Both transport agencies have three-seater and four seater coaches which are really “great” for their price tags.
If you are a person who is quite picky and prefers comfort even on a journey which can sometimes be nauseating, then you should go for the Inter-city STC coaches. The coach has a cabin attendant who sees to your comfort, (and from personal experience they do a great job). The coach also has an on-board urinal, and a Wi-Fi connection which can be so much better than it is now. The coaches are produced by Brazilian manufacturer Marcopolo S.A.
The V.I.P coaches offer basically an “each man for himself” kind of service; you have no cabin attendant of any sort, neither do you have any urinal on board. The buses are mostly from Chinese manufacturer Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co., Ltd. Traveling by the V.I.P coaches is generally faster than the STC coaches. Whereas the former takes an average of 4 hours and 15 minutes for the journey, you could be looking at about 4 hours and 45 minutes or 5 hours for the latter. You also get a journey break of 15 minutes at a rest stop to get some food, go to a washroom if you want, and stretch a bit for either of the two coach services.
Regarding safety of journey, one could arguably say the STC coaches are much safer judging by how rarely there have been accidents involving them as compared to their V.I.P Transport Service companions. The prices for both options range from as low as GH₵30 – GH₵60. You can locate the Intercity STC coaches’ main station at the Obetsebi Lamptey Roundabout in the city of Accra. The V.I.P Transport Services has its station at Circle-Accra, just right around the newly constructed Kwame Nkrumah Interchange. Both the STC and V.I.P bus stations in The Ashanti region are located at Asafo in Kumasi.
Flight
For air transport there really isn’t much to say than what is most typical of flights. You have the comfort of an airplane flight, that is, much lesser time (in this case, 30 minutes), you are treated to a brief meal over that time. And oh, it’s much more relaxing – gosh the roads can make the land journeys quite bumpy, and you may need a good day’s rest or a massage (probably) afterwards. The prices range from around GH₵400 – GH₵600. And by far, flights are the safest of all travelling means between Accra and Kumasi.
So if you are looking at a trip to Kumasi from Accra or the other way round, these are the few things to bear in mind: if you are looking to spend much less, not bothered by time, and want to enjoy the road then you could go for the coaches mentioned, but if you have the luxury of a “sound” pocket, want to avoid the tiredness of long travels and don’t have much time on your hands then you definitely need to go by air. Of course, you cannot be guaranteed 100% safety, but you can measure comparatively which is safer and more secure.
Featured Images via AprilNego & Business World Ghana
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