DRIVERS SLANG

  1. BRIGHTING - To groom a bus
  2. RAISING - To receive offer from a friend to drive his bus on part time basis
  3. BROKING - To pick a passenger within the precincts of a terminal. A union offence.
  4. SAYS - Mispronunciation of sales [Daily proceeds to transport owner]
  5. FULL BLOCK - Partial overhauling of engine
  6. HALF BLOCK - Complete overhauling of engine
  7. SPARE - Substitute driver. Favor to an unemployed colleague.
  8. NIGHT - Work from 9 pm to 5 am; connoting overtime.
  9. FULL SET - Bus with all seats occupied
  10. EMPTY - Bus with no or few passengers
  11. TD - Turbo version of Nissan mini bus [Actually meaning Turbo Diesel]
  12. 3 SEAT - Bus with 3 rows of seats
  13. 4 SEAT - Bus with 4 rows of seats
  14. OPERATION - Squad from Traffic unit of Ghana Police who arrest recalcitrant drivers
  15. SETTLE - Appease with money
  16. MATE – Conductor
  17. IN? –  Anyone alighting at next stop?
  18. BUS STOP? - Anyone alighting at next stop?
  19. WOLE - Ga [local language] word meaning pick him or her. Driver alerts conductor as passenger approaches
  20. GBE LE LE - Ga [local language] word meaning pick the passenger. Driver tells conductor so.
  21. BALANCE - Change [money]
  22. BOO JWEINT - Ball joint. [Part of a vehicle]
  23. LANS - Drivers license
  24. FIRST CAR - Earliest bus at a terminal
  25. LAST CAR -Last bus at a terminal
  26. LOAD - Passenger boarding
  27. SCALE -  Boarding bus
  28. STATION CAR - Bus registered at and operates from a terminal
  29. BOOKER - Porter
  30. CHAIRMAN - Head of the bus union
  31. BOARD - Register showing bus boarding schedules. [Internal information for operators]
  32. O 10, O 11 - Year of registration. From the year 2009, Ghana showed year of registration on license plates. Since then, even in 2014, every number is prefixed with an O [which is actually zero and not o, an alphabet. So a vehicle with 2012 registration is referred to as O 12.
  33. PAPERS - Vehicle documents
  34. DEAD PAPERS - Expired vehicle documentation
  35. TRAFFIC - Traffic jam
  36. STRAIGHT - Direct route. Non stop from terminal to destination
  37. MASSA -  Trotro bus owner.
  38. MTU - Motor traffic division of Ghana Police.
  39. CAUGHT - To be arrested.
  40. SHOP - garage [for repairing vehicles]
  41. NEW TYPE - New model of vehicle