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

.

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.