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 Some if lucky have all its windows intact while others will have broken ones that have been replaced by black polythene bags held with a solution tape.You enter some tro tros and the engine is starring at you and if you happen to sit behind the driver then sorry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