Accra trotro

Foggy day at Accra central railways trotro bus stop. The epicenter of the fog was around the GCB bank where visibility was only about 10 meters.

Trotro transport operators have indicated their contentment with the proposed legitimization of motorbike taxis commonly found in city squares in Accra. The pledge originates from the opposition NDC political  party's  manifesto. The one-passenger bikes facilitate the operations of the trotro drivers in unique ways - they ferry passengers through pedestrian-only passageways to trotro terminals where the patrons board the trotros. The operators are of the opinion that legalization will bring in it's wake regulation and training which will result in greater safety for other road users. Motorbike taxis do not pose any meaningful competition to trotros because they carry one passenger, do not have capacity for cargo (source of income for trotros) and travel short distances.

Trotro buses have resumed full boarding capacity. Seating arrangements were spaced out at the onset of the convid-19 epidemic to help minimize transmission of the virus from passengers. Its not known what precipitated the resumption of full seating because the reason for the initial restriction was due to 110 cases in Ghana which the government considered as alarming and thus intervened with the spacing rules. With over 20,000 cases now, it appears paradoxical that the safety rules have been repealed.

There is a new Accra trotro station at Ayigbe town junction on the Ring Road West, a few meters from Abossey Okai Happy Days. The trotro buses board to Accra Central via Latebiokorshie estate junction, Korle Bu junction, UTC, Agbado, Akoto Lante,Post Office and finally Arena. The return route is through Tudu, Graphic Road or Latebiokorshie Zongo junction route. This new trotro station saves time and effort for commuters at Latebiokorshie, Zongo, Abossey Okai and Old Fadama who hitherto had to trek to Kaneshie, about two kilometers away, for boarding.

Most trotro buses are off the streets of Accra because the operators say they will incur losses if they reduce passenger capacity as directed by government. Government has asked all trotro buses to create more space between passengers in the trotro buses to minimize the spread of the covid 19 virus. But this directive has been met with defiance because low number of passengers reduces their earnings without corresponding compensation from government. Still more, its seen as an act of bad faith on the part of the state which has not hitherto reduced the price of fuel or taxes on automobile spare imports. Previously, the trotro drivers had accused the authorities of dishonoring a long time convention of bi annual increment of trotro fares. So they deem the current request as an aggr...