Car Rentals Association targets Kumasi as new hub

File Photo: Cars on display for hire

The Car Rentals Association of Ghana is planning a new hub in Kumasi, aiming for status as an international airport near the city by August this year.

The association, which currently has around 78 registered car rental companies and an employment force of thousands in the car rental value chain, is also looking to expand to other metropolises around the world. ‘coming.

Directly, the association has approximately 1,500 full-time employees including drivers and front-office managers as well as nearly 20,000 people in the rental value chain consisting of auto mechanics, spare parts dealers, vehicle dealers and part-time drivers.

“The association has a branch in Kumasi and Takoradi, but the reason why they are not dynamic is due to the non-international airport status of these cities.

“We hope the Kumasi facelift will be completed soon so that we can position our business strongly there,” Car Rentals Association of Ghana chairman Seth Yeboah Ocran told B&FT.

Most international passengers make car rental arrangements in Accra upon arrival in the country, which the association says affects patronage in areas other than the capital.

The association however maintains that once international flights go direct to Kumasi, there will be a massive shift in operations with regards to expansion.

Although capital-intensive, the car rental industry is doing relatively well, with some international franchisees also operating in Ghana.

“The pandemic has disrupted the business of rental car companies for nearly two years, but the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions has allowed us to rebound strongly,” Mr. Ocran said, adding, “The future of “Expansion to other cities seems feasible in tandem with the country’s global and domestic tourism momentum.”

Indeed, Kumasi International Airport, according to Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei-Mensah during an inspection of the facility earlier this month, said the facility will begin operations in August this year – two months before its scheduled completion date.

The scope of work at the airport includes the extension of the existing runway surface from 1,981 meters to 2,320 meters, among other sophisticated installations.

The terminal will have the capacity to accommodate 800,000 passengers per year when it is in service.

The international status of the airport should also affect the construction of around 400 kilometers of roads in the metropolis.

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