Residents of Lewuniyiri in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region are set to benefit from improved transportation following the inauguration of a community-managed tricycle.
The initiative is expected to ease the movement of farmers, traders and other residents who have long struggled with limited, unreliable and costly transport to nearby market centres.
The tricycle was provided under the Promoting Rural Opportunities for the Vulnerable and Excluded (PROVE) for Sustainable Development in Lewuniyiri project, implemented by CSD Reform, a non-governmental organisation.
The project forms part of the Governance, Rule of Law, and Peacebuilding for Sustainable Development Flagship Programme and is being implemented in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Ghana, with funding from Denmark, Luxembourg and South Korea.
Lewuniyiri is a geographically isolated border community where poverty, climate-related pressures and limited access to basic services have made transportation a major obstacle to economic activity.
Residents frequently travel to Gbiniyiri, Saru and Kalba to sell farm produce and purchase essential commodities.
The new tricycle is expected to improve the transportation of agricultural produce, including shea and dairy products, as well as inputs, equipment and other goods.
Beyond its commercial purpose, the vehicle has also been designated as an emergency transport facility for residents, particularly pregnant women, children, sick persons and other vulnerable members of the community.
Under the agreed arrangements, emergency transportation will be provided free of charge or at highly subsidised rates, ensuring that financial difficulties do not prevent residents from accessing urgent transport services.
Three young men have been trained and designated as operators following practical training in tricycle management, road safety and basic maintenance.
They will operate the vehicle under the supervision of an inter-ethnic Project Management Committee (PMC), with the community Treasurer helping to oversee scheduling, revenue collection and financial accountability.
The tricycle has also been registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to provide a formal framework for its operation.
To ensure the intervention remains sustainable, revenue from its commercial activities will be deposited into a dedicated local bank account.
The PMC has committed to completing the account registration process and providing regular financial reports to residents during community meetings.
The intervention is part of efforts by CSD Reform to promote sustainable and climate-resilient livelihoods while expanding economic opportunities for vulnerable groups, including women, young people and pastoralist households.
For Lewuniyiri, the initiative is expected to go beyond solving a transportation problem by improving access to markets, strengthening local livelihoods and ensuring that residents can obtain emergency transportation when the need arises.
