Introduction

Global warming is a term used to describe a gradual increase in the earth’s average
ground and atmospheric temperatures across the whole planet. Measurements
Indicate that the global temperature has increased by about 1 degree Fahrenheit in the
past century.

This warming trend appeared during a period when human activities were beginning to
increase the carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Climate is the long-term average of a region’s weather events lumped together.

A sustainable transportation system is one in which fuel consumption; vehicle

emissions, safety, congestion, and social and economic access are of such levels that
they can be sustained into the indefinite future without causing great or irreparable harm
to future generations of people throughout the world.

In a country like Ghana where I come from, it faces the same transportation, economic,
and environmental challenges of other developing and developed countries.
Population, motor vehicles, pollution, and traffic congestion are all increasing. Air
pollution levels greatly exceed national and World Health Organization health-based
standards, and the transportation sector is by far the largest source of pollution. In the
past 30 years, Ghana’s population has tripled and the numbers of vehicles ownership
have also increased drastically.

In Ghana, a car does not only serve as a means of transport but it also contributes to
ones social status. As a result of these, a family of 5 may have about 15 cars just to
show off. In a recent interview with one prominent man, he drives 6 different cars on a
day one to take his son to school, one to take the wife to work and other two different
cars to bring them back from their various places, one for shopping and one to visit his
friends. If half the size of the population should be continue in this habit for the next 10-
20 years this will quadruple the global warming figure obtain in the last century. In the
past the forms of transportation turns to have less impact on the environment as
compare to the current as most of the transport services were done on foot or with
animals and few commercial goods with trains.

In order to address global warming which is mainly within the transport sector an
effective and sustainable national transport policy has to be implemented to address
this issue. This transport policy will be very expensive but it will produce a positive
outcome in the long run hence cutting down greenhouse gases. If Ghana should
implement the transport policy below it will be a shining star for the rest of the
developing and developed countries hence cutting down on its carbon dioxide
emissions from the exhaust of cars
Body

Cycling and walking paths

First and foremost the key factor contributing to global warming within the transport
sector in Ghana is fact that there are no cycling way and walking paths. As a result of
this, both cyclist and pedestrians tends to use the road with the cars. This turns to
increase in traffic as drivers try to avoid both pedestrians and the cyclist. This problem
is the mother of global warming in Ghana as cars movements of cars are limited: one
can get stuck in traffic with a mile radius for hours. The most effective and sustainable
way to prevent this problem is by constructing cycle lanes and footpaths to allow the
flow of traffic. The construction of these cycle lanes and footpaths will be very
expensive but it is the only forward for a sustainable national transport for the next 10-
20 years and even beyond. The construction of this lanes will not only reduce emission
it will also lead to the healthcare of the human being as they will inhale less carbon
dioxide as well as saving lives. The provision of cycle and pedestrian routes,
segregated from road networks, may encourage an increase in the number of short
journeys being made by bike or foot. This could be assisted by improving cycle parking
facilities at convenient locations, and improving pedestrian access to and within public
transport facilities.

Construction of bus lanes

Additionally looking at the current situation in Ghana there are no bus lanes priority as
all the cars travel on the same lane. This problem turns to create huge traffic within
the city centre as a result of this most people feel comfortable to travel in the cars rather
than using public transport has it contain many people and with no air conditions in it.
This problem turns to worsen day in and day out which turns to have a huge effect on
the environment constituting to global warming as a result of high carbon emissions
from the exhaust of both the buses and the private owned vehicles. Looking at the
next 10-20 the problem will worsen so there is the need to act now by constructing new
bus lanes or allocating spaces for bus to ease the follow of traffic hence less emission.
This will make people to change their way of travel by using the bus service as it is
affordable more convenient for people to use

Road tax and vehicle tax

To expatiate further because there is no tax on vehicles and road user charges in
Ghana people turn to abuse it by buying many cars and using it on the roads. With this
policy vehicles will be taxed on the based on size of the car or the size of the engine
with some exemptions on greener cars. This will discourage policy will make people to
shift their demand for private and turn to public transport hence cutting down the rate of
emission as one bus can accommodate about 50 people from 50 private owned cars.
The money raised from these taxes can also be used to improve the efficiency of public
transport sector by investing into new technology to cut down carbon emission.

Road network planning and high ways to link various cities

Another sustainable national transport policy with reference to Ghana will be the
implementation of efficient and effective road network planning policy by constructing
new sustainable high ways to link various cities to allow the flow of traffic .looking at the
current traffic situation in Ghana with reference to Accra, there are no high ways and
there are only three roads connecting the capital city and the rest of the country as a
result of poor planning. This is a very serious problem which needs to be address as it
tends to increase in traffic congestion and hence increasing the rate of carbon
emission.

Right to own a car and one car per family has to be implemented

As the population increase the demand of cars has also risen at an alarming rate,
Ghana now has more cars than the roads can accommodate which also turns to have
an effect on the environment hence global warming. To address this issue there is the
need for policy which should cut down the rate of vehicle ownership by implementing
the right to own a car and one car per family policy. This policy will involve detail
information as to why you want to own a car. This event will be held for a period of 2
days in every year. If the person certifies the criteria he has to pay for the certificated
depending on the type of the car which will only be valid for a period of 7 years. This
certificate will be non transferable. Motor vehicles which are more than ten years old will
not be issued with a certificate of ownership. This policy will also help to educate and
eliminate people who thinks owing more than one car contributes to ones social status
The money raised from the issue of these certificates will be used in to boost the public
transport sector as most of the buses operating in Ghana are private owned

Conclusion

If the present rise in population is accompanied by economic growth and increased

personal income, the total amount of motor vehicles could be set to rise beyond 1 billion
by 2019, discharging as much as 1,800 million tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere
per annum. This would be the equivalent of almost one-third of the 6,000 million tonnes
of carbon emissions from all sources today. Without a major improvement in fuel
efficiency, a considerable increase in fuel consumption, and consequently greenhouse
emissions, will occur. In the Ghana, it has been recognized that the continued
mismanagement of an unsustainable transport system cannot continue in the future.
Sustainable transport policies will involve more than traffic reduction. New technology is
required to increase vehicle efficiency and reduce pollution from the traffic that remains.
Investment in other modes of transport, including public transport, cycling and walking
will be needed to encourage individuals out of their cars. With these investment in
technology polices such as congestion and road user can be implemented in the future
to keep people out of their cars hence less emission which will cut down the rate of
carbon emission leading to a cut in green house gases