MONROVIA – The National Transit Authority (NTA) with assistance from the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbiet (GIZ) GmbH is conducting several surveys to improve the quality of transport services provided by the Authority.
The week-long surveys, which kicked off February 12, include NTA customer satisfaction survey, stated performance survey, as well as traffic counts.
The surveys are being conducted in Monrovia and its surroundings, like Caldwell, Red light, Broad Street, Duport Road, Sinkor, Congo Town, and SKD Boulevard by students of various universities, a release from the NTA said on Wednesday.
According to NTA Managing Director, Herbie T. McCauley, “the long-term objective of the survey is to improve public transportation in Monrovia and later Liberia.
“This is an opportunity for the public to give a feedback to our transport services to enable us to make improvement in the nearest future. The public is kindly asked to cooperate with our interviewers as the survey aims at the common good,” McCauley said.
The project, “Capacity Development in the Transport Sector,” is being implemented by GIZ on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ) and co-funded by the EU.
In this context, the first phase of the GIZ-NTA partnership was to support the NTA in the capacity development of the mechanics for buses maintenance started in October 2018 and ended on December 14.
The next phase commenced on December 14 and is expected to finish in March 2019.
According to project director Ulrich Thueer of the GIZ, the objective of the survey is to optimize the usage of the busses and to identify areas of possible improvement of services being provided.
The NTA was established in the City of Monrovia by the Government of Liberia though legislative enactment on September 11, 2008 and signed into law by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on March 24, 2009.
NTA has its root in the erstwhile Monrovia Transit Authority (MTA), created in 1977 as a department of Monrovia City Corporation (MCC).
The mission of the NTA is to provide affordable, efficient, convenient, and reliable mass transit services to the citizens and foreign nationals across the country.
It is headed by a Managing Director, currently Mr. Herbie T. McCauley, who is closely assisted by two deputies for Administration, currently Myer Beteah, and for Operations, currently Joseph B. Wisseh.
In addition to the MD and his deputies, the entity also has a Board of Directors.
The objective of the project “Capacity Development in the Transport Sector in Liberia” being implemented by the GIZ is to assist responsible public institutions and Liberia’s private sector to carry out reforms in accordance with the National Transport Master Plan. In this context, the Project is supporting the Liberian Government in the creation of a Road Agency, the introduction of the National Road Fund and advising on establishment and development of a road management system.