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 Some if lucky have all its windows intact while others will have broken ones that have been replaced by black polythene bags held with a solution tape.You enter some tro tros and the engine is starring at you and if you happen to sit behind the driver then sorry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.

  

    

boarding A PUBLIC VEHICLE in ghana

Public vehicles in Ghana have their own way of operating. Depending on which one you intend to board at a particular point in time it is necessary to know where to find one and how to get to board one.

For a tro tro you can either flag one anywhere along the road, or take one from a station.  Tro tros normally wait at their station until full before departing. When taking a tro tro on well-traveled routes you can be assured that it will be full and departing soon. The conductor (mate) calls out the name of the routes they will be travelling and their final destinations also known as ‘shadowing’ several times to get passengers into the car. So for those who live in Accra you will be familiar with one such as Accra! Legon! Thirty-seven(37)! Or circle! circle! kaneshie!.  Quiet often because there are several conductors at the station one will have to pay keen attention in order to get the right vehicle for his or her destination especially if it is for the first time. If you are used to that particular station then you just have to move straight to the right vehicle. There are times when one will have to join a queue and wait for a tro tro. This is often in the morning or late in the afternoon. It is sometimes difficult to find an empty seat on a passing tro tro so it is best to go to the station. Tro tros are available throughout the week but far fewer tro tros run on Sundays

a tro tro station

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Taxis operate similar to the tro tro thus they may either be at the station with the tro tro drivers or have their own station. Because taxis do not use the services of conductors they will have a sign on top of the car or on the dashboard indicating the destination. So depending on your destination you have to check the dashboard but most taxi drivers will often shadow to get passengers early. However, you may have a long wait for the car to get full before it departs but you have the option of paying for the empty seats to get the taxi moving immediately to its defined destination. Taxis that do not operate in stations drive around the street for passengers. Passing taxis that you flag on the street are referred to as "dropping" taxis, and they will take you directly to your destination but taking a parked dropping taxi is always more expensive than flagging a taxi that is driving by.

tro tro station

taxis with dashboards

            For the buses, there are some such as the metro mass that also ply along the roads to pick up passengers. They run on much flexible schedules. You can board a metro mass on the road once there is space available. Because of its size there are times when people stand in the middle lane of the bus. This often happens in the morning and evening when there are fewer vehicles but more people. They stop at every bus stop to alight and pick up passengers so you can easily spot a metro mass if you are at a bus stop. This makes them slower than the tro tro or taxi so depending on how fast you want to get to your destination you might have to think twice before boarding one. One cannot rule out the fact that despite their slow nature they provide a high level of safety. The Yutong and VIP also operate nice buses along major routes. They have a newer fleet, more flexible schedules, and, like tro tros, will depart for their destination once the bus is full.

The recently privatized State Transport Company (STC) has scheduled bus service that runs along nearly all paved roads in Ghana. Tickets are booked in advance, so you have to buy your tickets early rather than going to the bus station expecting to be on the next departing bus. Tickets are usually checked a few minutes before the bus takes off and passengers with the right ticket which has the correct time and destination will be allowed to get on board. Once all passengers are on board the bus takes off but take note that if you arrive late you might have to re schedule your time and join the next bus going to your destination. Because the buses run full from their point of departure, it is very difficult to find a seat on a passing bus unless it is far from its original point of departure. STC, Yutong and VIP will only pick passengers from stations.

Yutong buses waiting for passengers.

It is not difficult to get a public vehicle to board in Ghana. These vehicles are accessible and available if you do not own a car so you have no excuse for not getting to a destination. For those who visit the country for the first time it is a whole new experience as these public vehicles come with both exciting and sometimes unforgettable experiences.