The management of Neoplan Ghana Limited bemoaned the arrival of cheap Asian buses in Ghana as opposed to the stronger local buses.
Neoplan produced 450 buses for metro mass, and every single one of them is still in fine functioning order.
Due to their relatively low pricing, China buses were imported later, but those didn’t last, he stated in an interview in 2021.
He said that the government and other interested parties must promote the purchase of goods made in Ghana.
Workshop Manager for Neoplan Ghana Limited, Ernest Nyanful Boateng, has complained bitterly about the influx of low-quality Asian buses in Ghana as compared to the durable ones the company makes from scratch here in Ghana.
He made this assertion on Happy Morning Show aired on e.TV Ghana and Happy 98.9FM with Samuel Eshun.
“Neoplan made 450 buses for metro mass and all those buses are currently working and in good condition. China buses were imported later, due to their relatively cheap prices but those didn’t last”.
He also compared the quality of products used in manufacturing Neoplan buses and the Asian versions.
“Neoplan buses were built with a galvanized sheet and square pipes which made them durable. The manufacturers of the imported Asian and China buses use fiber, which makes them light in weight. The imported buses were not able to withstand the test of time that is why the number of buses around today is limited,” he said.
He advised both state and private institutions to choose Neoplan buses over Asian ones as they are worth the money that will be spent on them. The concerned Neoplan staff believes the local patronage of their buses will revive their dying business.
Background
President Akufo-Addo during his just-ended four-day working visit of the Ashanti Region said the government was keen on reviving the once vibrant Neoplan Ghana Limited. The company according to the President will be absorbed into the one-district-one-factory (1D1F) industrialization initiative.
Neoplan Ghana was established in 1974 as a bus manufacturing firm for Ghana’s transport fleet, but the company has in recent times been on the decline due to a number of challenges, that have resulted in the laying off of staff. Neoplan has also been unable to secure contracts from the government and the private sector to boost its operations, falling on repair and maintenance services, which have led to recurring losses.