PERSONALITY!!!

a tro tro conductor

For most occupations there is a dress code. A banker will wear a suit and a tie, a lab technician will be in his or her lab coat. Commercial drivers in Ghana especially tro tro drivers and their mates have very interesting ways of dressing. In as much as the Motor Traffic And Transport Unit (MTTU) tries to make them have a dress code, they seem to prefer their own style of dressing an a daily base.If I recall, there was a time in Ghana where tro tro drivers were asked to wear a white shirt and a black trousers with a pair of shoes but that did not last. Most of the drivers said it made them look too “official” so they resorted to their own attire Some drivers will wear a nice shirt on a pair of trousers and a sandal or shoe. Others also look like they do not care about how they look. As for the conductors or mate, you will agree with me that the way some of them dress is very interesting and may make you laugh your rips off. Tro tro mates are known to often look dirty and have smelly armpits. One of Ghana’s musicians popularly known as Sydney in one of his songs, ‘scent no’(http://www.google.com.gh/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CCoQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ghanaplaylist.com%2Fhome%2Fmusic%2Fplay%2F11919298337978&ei=Egm_UqiIJITK0QWT5YGIDg&usg=AFQjCNHaRdsnoEQ1FyT3Z181VhxBvAoMTw&sig2=rvgHQcJ_TDo1uK3zfVdpLg )even made mention of this fact. The part of the song that talked about sitting in a tro tro and a mate raising his armpit: the smell alone is something else. I have personally on several occasions witnessed this. There are even some drivers who look like they are conductors.

For taxis, most taxi drivers are compelled to wear a uniform because they are members of a union. A visit to most taxi stations shows how most of them have to dress uniformly. The common practice now a day is the wearing of Lacoste to work. Some stations have specific days that members have to wear the t-shirt or Lacoste. Example, on Tuesdays and Fridays. On such days one will see the beauty of wearing a uniform. It is nice to see taxi drivers in uniform.
Drivers of VIP and VVIP buses also wear either a uniform or lacoste. A few do not go by this and are allowed to wear anything presentable or descent.

VIP bus drivers in lacoste

FORGET THE DISTANCE…… ENJOY THE RIDE!!

Have you ever traveled in Ghana on a VVIP bus? If your answer is yes then am sure you will attest to its reliability and comfort. If no then I will recommend it anytime you have to travel a long distant in Ghana.

inside a VVIP bus

Talk of comfort and a VVIP bus is there to give you that. They are more relaxed and the perfect choice for travelling long distance such as Accra to Kumasi or Accra toTakoradi. It seems to be the preferred choice for most Ghanaians. Cases of road accidents involving mini buses such as the tro tro made it difficult for people to travel long distances. The introduction of the VVIP buses brought relive to most travellers. Many have attested to the fact that between a VVIP bus and a tro tro, the difference is very huge.

Now for those who have not travelled on a VVIP bus let me take you on an imaginary ride to see the various facilities it offers you the traveller. I was personally amazed when I visited one of the VVIP bus terminals in Accra precisely Circle(Accra). For foreigners who visit Ghana I can assure you that a VVIP bus is not so different from the airplane hat flew you to the country.

You enter a VVIP bus and where the driver sits and controls the bus is quiet sophisticated than that of the tro tro or taxi. The driver’s seat is designed with a part where he can relax his arm when he decides to take a rest. Now let’s see what is in there for the passenger. The seats are bigger, softer and welcoming.

The seats can be adjusted depending on the passengers preferred position. Right on top of the passenger seat is a mini air condition. Every pair of seat has this facility and allows the passengers to regulate it to suite them. While you are seated and the bus takes off the television is switched on. There are often two televisions. One for those on the front seats and the other for those on the back seats. You will either be watching a local movie or a video clip for the music lovers. VVIP buses are very neat and spacious. One amazing thing I discovered about some of the buses is that they may have a water dispenser. This means as a passenger you have access to hot cold water whiles on the bus. Passengers will not have to get to a rest stop before getting water to quench their thirst. You can board a VVIP bus without having to book a ticket in advance. You walk to the bus terminal and there is always a bus available. Tickets can be purchased right at the terminal.

drivers seat

VVIP buses are hardly involved in road accidents. It takes you on a smooth drive you do not realize you are traveling on a bad road. Well many have preferred mini buses because they are cheaper. The fares for travelling on a tro tro from Accra to Kumasi can be two or three times less than that of the VVIP bus. But as the saying goes ‘good things 
’t come cheap’.

Tro tro and inscriptions

Tro tros are one interesting form of public transport in Ghana. Just take a day to observe them and you might laugh your rips off. Looking for an inspirational message in the morning? You can find some behind a tro tro. I sought to research more into the inscriptions and names behind most pubic transport and believe me it was full of fun and lessons to learn. The names, as I have come to observe, may be written according to the state of the car, the nature or behavior of the drivers, or some past experience one must have had and even the religious belief of the driver.

 In Ghana inscriptions may either be in English but quiet often are in the local dialect. Most of us might not pay attention to these inscriptions and names because probably we have our own car and most often in a hurry. I board tro tro virtually all week to school and I have come across very interesting inscriptions. One that caught my eye was ‘wo besi wↄe’ which is in Akan language meaning ‘where will you alight”. The driver is obviously assuring you that wherever your destination, his car can take you there. You find yourself stuck in traffic early in the morning and a tro tro driver crosses you. Being  furious u look behind the tro tro and it says ‘forgive and forget’. You probably will smile and feel it’s a human being that was speaking directly to you.

 In my research I came across inscription that said ‘nkraa wↄ fie’. This literally means there are children at home. Curious as I was I sought to find out the reason behind this inscription. The driver who gave his name as Isaac said he wrote that to let people know that he has children to take care of so they should bored his tro tro so he can earn money to take care of them. He believes people will be moved by the message.

Another inscription was ‘enye m’ahoↄden’ which means ‘it is not by my strength’. Such inscriptions are often by drivers who are highly religious and believe that it is not by their own might but the work of God. There are others such as

Foate

Pentecost fire

Kekeli (which is an Ewe word for light or brightness)

Monkey dey work

No mistake no correction

Let them say

Suro nipa (fear humans)

Obosam mpo suro  (which means even the devil is afraid)

No Jesus no life

AbotrƐ na ƐyƐ  which means patience is the best

                It is interesting how some of these  inscriptions go contrary to the behaviour and attitudes of the drivers and their conductors.

CONDITIONS OF TRO TRO IN GHANA

 Tro tro’ in Ghana is one that every Ghanaian has virtually travelled on before either to school, work, home and other places. For those who have not had a feel of it, it is one means of transportation that comes with both interesting and somewhat bitter experiences. Despite its helpful work to those who do not own their private cars and cannot afford a taxi, the poor state of most of them is one disturbing issue that cannot be ignored. Do you watch the condition of a tro tro before boarding it or for you it’s a case of ‘anything goes’? Personally, when it comes to boarding a tro tro I turn to be very choosy. I might not have a car but I will also not allow my money to go waste. I must confess that there have been several instances where I had to board some tro tros for necessity sake.

One will testify to the fact that some of these vehicles when sat in them makes you feel like a rat that has just entered a death trap set by a hunter. The seats look as old as Methuselah with the foam on them that makes a passenger comfortable torn. This exposes the metallic parts that are either waiting to tear your skin off or your outfit for the day. Some if lucky have all its windows intact while others will have broken ones that have been replaced by black polythene bags held with a solution tape.You enter some tro tros and the engine is starring at you and if you happen to sit behind the driver then sorry for you because the heat from the engine would have baked you by the time you would have alighted.

I have been a victim of these rickety vehicles not once, not twice but on several occasions. On one instance I had my white top dyed brown because a driver and his conductor decided not to wipe the dew from the top of the vehicle and because the top of the vehicle had holes, it rained on those of us on the back seats. Not only was I angry but also felt sorry for myself.

Quiet recently, a senior colleague of mine in school also fell victim of such vehicles which nearly cost his life. He had a deep cut on the hand when he was getting off a tro tro for lectures. He said, ‘what even annoyed him was the way the driver and conductor starred at him like Egyptian mummies without even saying sorry.  He missed lectures for three days because he had to go in for tetanus injection.

Many of my colleagues have come for lectures with part of their outfits torn and with complain of the conditions of the tro tro they board to school.

Road accident is one major problem hitting the country. Most of these accidents are blamed on either the driver that was careless or the bad nature of the road. Many have lost their lives and several injured over the years. Most of these injuries would not have occurred if the vehicles were in good shape. Campaigns on road accidents are often centered on speeding, reckless driving, drunk driving and barely on the conditions of the car. I must confess that there are some tro tro that are in very good shape, neat and very comfortable to sit in. If one is fortunate it is even possible to once in a while get an air-conditioned tro tro to board.

A TRO TRO IN GOOD SHAPE

 I am often happy when I see personals of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) on the side of the road stopping vehicles especially tro tro drivers to check for their drivers license. The unfortunate thing is that not only do some of these tro tro drivers have expired license but drive expired vehicles as well.