The government has unveiled a major intervention to restore the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL) and strengthen the State Transport Corporation (STC), beginning with the delivery of new vehicles at the end of 2025.

Transport Minister Joseph Bukari-Nikpe announced that the initiative will see the procurement of 350 Toyota Hiace mini-buses, 100 Toyota Coaster buses, and 50 cargo trucks, with deliveries continuing into 2026.

“By the close of 2025, deliveries will commence and continue into 2026 to ensure that the fleets of Metro Mass and STC are significantly boosted to meet public transport demand across the regions,” the Minister said.

The new vehicles are expected to ease the severe shortage of buses serving intercity, regional, and rural routes, where Metro Mass in particular has long provided a critical transport lifeline.

Bukari-Nikpe further revealed that government is reviewing a number of outsourced revenue contracts belonging to the two transport companies, with the aim of reclaiming them to rebuild their financial base.

“The outsourcing of major services has limited the capacity of these companies to generate their own revenue. We are looking at reclaiming those operations to ensure Metro Mass and STC can sustain themselves,” he explained.

Transport analysts, however, caution that increasing the fleet alone may not guarantee long-term success. They stress the need to address persistent challenges such as weak maintenance systems, inadequate spare parts supply, and operational inefficiencies.

The Ministry of Transport has assured that, alongside the vehicle rollout, steps are being taken to strengthen management and improve efficiency to ensure the sustainability of Metro Mass and STC.