The Minister of Transport and Member of Parliament for Saboba, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, has assured that the State Transport Company (STC) and Metro Mass Transit (MMT) will receive new buses by the end of the first quarter of 2026 as part of government efforts to retool the two state-owned transport operators.

Speaking in an interview with Bernard Avle on The Point of View on Channel One TV on Monday, December 22, Mr. Nikpe said the government has secured financial backing from the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) to support the acquisition of new buses for STC, with similar arrangements underway for MMT.

“It is a headache to us in the Ministry, and I want to thank the President for his concern,” Mr. Nikpe said. “Just last week, we were able to get the Ghana Commercial Bank, and the President himself sat in a meeting with STC management for us to see how we can get support for STC to acquire almost 300 buses.

“God willing, we should have buses by the end of the first quarter [2026] for all the two states’ companies.”

According to the Minister, the arrangement will allow STC to receive between 250 and 300 buses in the first phase, with additional buses to be procured annually to sustain operations.

“We are on course, and I am very certain that very soon STC will begin to receive new fleets supported by the Ghana Commercial Bank. They will purchase the buses, and the bank will do all the arrangements to support us to have more buses,” he stated.

Mr. Nikpe explained that the bus acquisition programme will be continuous, with plans to bring in more than 150 buses each year to strengthen STC’s operations.

“If they are able to bring in the first phase between 250 to 300 buses, it will be a yearly activity that every time we are going to bring in over 150 buses to support their operations. The same arrangement is being made for Metro Mass Transit Limited that the buses will be supplied in phases every year. We will renew their fleets,” he said.

The Transport Minister noted that before engaging financial institutions, the government implemented internal reforms to improve efficiency and accountability within the transport companies.

“Before the President agreed to talk to any bank, there were some internal arrangements we had to put in place. We have now put them on their toes to manage what they have, and we are seeing improvement in their daily mobilisation of funds,” he said.

He added that despite operating with limited fleets, both companies have begun recording profits, a development he described as encouraging.

“The little buses they have are beginning to make profits. That is a clear indication to us that if we make arrangements for them, they will be able to pay for it,” Mr. Nikpe said.

citinewsroom.com

Social media posts deemed dangerous or offensive can increasingly lead to visa denial or online backlash. Here’s what global travelers need to know.

Last week, the US government announced plans to scrutinise five years’ worth of social media posts by visitors from dozens of countries who are eligible to visit the US for 90 days without a visa. While the specific details of the proposal remain unclear, the American public has several weeks to submit comments responding to the plan before it takes effect on 8 February 2026. Among other information, ESTA visa-free applicants will need to provide all email addresses used over the past 10 years.

The proposal reflects a recent trend of increased scrutiny of visitors to the US, where travellers’ digital footprints may now be used as grounds to bar them from entering or to deport them from the country. Earlier this year, a Norwegian tourist claimed he was denied entry to the US after officials searched his phone and found a meme of Vice President JD Vance. US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) denies the claim, stating that the decision was because of the Norwegian’s “admitted drug use”. The CBP site notes that “border searches of electronic devices are often integral to determining an individual’s intentions upon entry to the United States”.

Since returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has sought to secure the US’s borders, citing national security reasons. But some experts say the new plan could pose an additional obstacle that deters would-be travellers.

Border searches go digital

Donald Rothwell, a law professor at Australian National University and regular commentator on international legal issues, is one of many who are now cautious of travelling to the US, as he says the visitor experience is becoming increasingly fraught.

If on arrival at a US border a foreign visitor fails to comply with a CBP border official request, they can be denied entry – Donald Rothwell

“Currently, under the Visa Waiver Program, which allows visitors from 42 countries to enter the US using the ESTA process, they possess very little rights at the border,” he cautions.

“This partly arises because in applying under the Visa Waiver Program, [visitors] waive some of their US legal rights to contest certain decisions made by US CBP [Customs and Border Protection] at the border. So, if on arrival at a US border a foreign visitor fails to comply with a CBP border official request, they can be denied entry.” His advice for visitors: be highly cautious about what you post online with respect to matters that may relate to US policy or individual Americans.

Looking further ahead, Rothwell theorises that increasing digitisation is likely to make high levels of scrutiny far more common – and easier to implement: “If travel is going to become ‘borderless’, it follows that more digital data will be collected on travellers.” More data, he adds, provides authorities greater confidence that the visitor does not pose a security threat. “I suspect that we will see an increasing use of AI being used to make these decisions,” he says.

Think before you post

The US is far from the only nation to implement such surveillance measures. Governments around the world are increasingly monitoring travellers’ social media activity, and a person’s digital footprint can still cause problems long after they cross a border. In 2018, New Zealand introduced what they said was the world’s first law allowing border officials to demand access to travellers’ phones, with hefty fines for those who refuse to share their passwords. The United Arab Emirates goes further still: authorities can detain foreigners who post or even repost defamatory content, as one Irishman discovered last year when he left a negative online review of a former local employer.

The risks are also rising because travellers are generating ever-increasing volumes of potentially sensitive content. A survey of British travellers by Virgin Mobile found that more than half “can’t imagine not taking pictures on holiday”, typically uploading seven images a week to social media. In the arms race of “travel porn”, many users get competitive. One-in-10 survey respondents said they would go to extreme lengths for a holiday selfie, including standing on a cliff edge or posing with wild animals.

The problem is that those shots are often taken without regard for local norms, leading to backlash that can quickly escalate. In 2022, a Russian influencer and her husband were deported from Bali after staging a nude photoshoot under a sacred tree. Shortly after the photos were uploaded to social media, local politician Niluh Djelantic asked fellow citizens to report the influencer to the police. “She should be responsible for the cost of the cleaning ceremony to be carried out by villagers,” Djelantik wrote. “Trashy tourist. Go home!”

Incidents like this have led to governments scrambling to educate their globe-trotting citizens, with web pages dedicated to ever-shifting social media etiquette abroad, or cultural norms that many travellers may not realise exist. Canada’s government portal, for example, warns that in Thailand it is illegal to promote alcohol consumption, and you can be fined for posting pictures with alcohol on social media.

The spectrum of misunderstanding

Sucheta Rawal, a travel keynote speaker and children’s book author, has experienced how quickly a holiday post can spiral. On a trip to Africa last year, one of her posts was viewed by a contact, who then angrily reshared it globally. “I didn’t feel I was being insensitive,” she says, “but it led to misinterpretation, blame and hostility towards me, which made the rest of my trip very difficult. All content is vulnerable – whether you are posting personally or privately. In today’s environment, it is not very difficult to take comments out of context, or to thread them into stories that you did not intend to be told.” 

At a time when more travellers are becoming content creators and posting gigabytes of material every month, the scope for misunderstanding grows. “When I was writing Beato Goes to Japan,” says Rawal, “I realised that I had to be mindful of so many subtle cultural nuances in my images.” The wrapping of a yukata (summer kimono) differs between living people and corpses, she notes, while facing your back to a torii gate, the entrance to a Shinto shrine, is disrespectful.

As travel photography becomes increasingly performative, millions of people take selfies wearing local clothing or visiting religious shrines. Such missteps can offend those nearby long before an image is posted online.

Context is everything

Often, it is unfamiliarity with cultural norms – rather than malice – that lies behind these incidents. For example, Japan, along with many Asian and Middle Eastern nations, is an example of a “high-context society“. In a talk on the subject, intercultural communication expert Erin Meyer explains that in such cultures, communication “is more implicit, or layered or nuanced”, and much is said through symbolic gestures or implied understanding.

Travellers from “low-context societies”, which prioritise direct verbal communication, may find such layered, understated communication a minefield of potential rudeness – one where even if you avoid words, you don’t necessarily avoid causing offence. When social posts today come with the option of adding a plethora of emojis, a simple video upload at a foreign fruit market, with an accompanying watermelon icon could easily trigger viewers who see that as a sign of antisemitism or a racist stereotype against black Americans.

Don’t turn local people into objects just because you are a traveller – Sucheta Rawal

None of this means holidaymakers should censor themselves entirely for fear of backlash. Instead, the best approach may be to simply post more consciously, prioritising quality over quantity rather than feeding algorithms or expectations.

“Awareness is often gained by being fully aware and present of your surroundings,” says Rawal. “Observe how people around you dress, speak, act, and try to blend in as best as you can. Don’t turn local people into objects just because you are a traveller.”

The result is not just a safer and more meaningful trip, but one where you connect respectfully with cultural sites rather than simply turning them into content.

bbc.com

The Ministry of Transport has announced the commencement of processes for the construction of a new airport in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.

According to the Ministry, the project forms part of the Mahama government’s broader agenda to modernise and expand the transport sector through improved infrastructure, services, and regulations.

Transport Minister, Joseph Bukari Nipke disclosed this at a strategic review workshop held in the Volta Region on Saturday, August 23.

He further revealed that work is underway to extend the runway at the Prempeh Agyemang I International Airport in Kumasi to accommodate medium-sized aircraft, a move expected to boost regional air traffic and connectivity.

In addition, Terminal 2 of the Kotoka International Airport is being repurposed to serve both domestic and international passengers, in a bid to improve efficiency and ease congestion at the country’s main airport.

“We have commenced the process for the construction of a new airport in Bolga in the Upper East Region. Work has also resumed on sections of the Western Railway line from Manso to Huni Valley, which had been halted since December 2024,” the Minister stated.

citinewsroom.com