WHO IS THE DRIVER AND 'MATE', AND WHAT ARE THEIR ROLES

This week's article will discuss who the driver and mate are, and their roles in the 'Trotro'.
'Trotro' vehicles are operated by two men, that is, a driver and a 'mate'. The 'Trotro' driver's job is to drive the bus safely to its destination. If the 'Trotro' breaks down on the road, the 'Trotro' driver's first priority is to determine if the passengers safety or security is at stake.

The driver will assess the problem which resulted in the breakdown of the vehicle and may call for help from passengers to deal with the problem. In most cases, passengers will alight and 'push' the car whiles the driver will sit at the steer and start the car.

The mate collects fares from passengers, shout out of the window to get hold of new passengers. He is also responsible for seating passengers and helping passengers with loads to get on board the vehicle. He uses certain hand signals to show the destination of the vehicle.

To earn a little money for his pocket, the mate sometimes sells his seat to passengers, but most often, passengers do not feel comfortable and therefore complain and accuse him of selling his seat position and rather choosing to sit on the metallic cover of the engine adjoining the front seat.. The fare from the seat becomes unaccounted for. It belongs to him and the driver cannot ask for it.

Some mates have a good sense of humour and normally crack jokes to entertain passengers whiles others may also engage in words exchange with the passengers and when there is tension, the driver may intervene.

SOME INSCRIPTIONS ON 'TROTRO'S' IN ACCRA

Having known the history and meaning of 'Trotro' in the first article which I published last week, let us now discuss the inscriptions on 'Trotro'. Do these inscriptions educate the public or they are written for fun ?

Most 'Trotros' in Accra have fascinating inscriptions that are written either on the rear view or the wind screen. These inscriptions are mostly written in Twi and in English language. Some give thanks, and others also express their thought on issues happening in the country. Some are funny, and some are motivational whiles others impacts wisdom and some too come from personal experience of the car owner or the 'Trotro' driver.

Some 'Trotro's' take the sole responsibility of spreading the work of God. They carry spiritual messages such as : "Judgement Day", "Repent"," He is coming". Others also have inscriptions which praise God for enabling them to buy a bus. some inscriptions include : "God is Good", "I am highly favoured", " In God We Trust". This shows that the car owner or the 'Trotro' driver is a christian and showing a testimony, faith and advice and an appeal to the unsaved to turn a new leaf.

There are also inscriptions which are very funny. I have come across a few of them which are :"dzi wo fie asem, because all die be die", abrokyire ye fucking, close your mouth.
The inscription "dzi wo fie asem, because all die be die" shows that the car owner or the 'Trotro' driver is expressing his thought on the election tension which happened in the country some months ago.

A story is being told to me by a friend about this guy who waited for hours trying to catch a 'Trotro' to his hometown, Ho. Finally a 'Trotro' approached from a distance with a front inscription 'HOPE', upon seeing it, the guy yelled to himself saying " ah wei de3 ek) Hop33".


Some also carry motivational and wisdom messages such as :"beware of friends,", all that glitters is not gold", "fear women and live long". "don't rush, take time". These inscriptions are educative and also and can be a comic relief to people.

"TROTRO"

Majority of Ghanaians do not own private cars and therefore rely on commercial vehicles, Trotro. Mostly school children, workers, rely on these vehicles to get to their destination. These Trotros work daily and without these vehicles , most Ghanaians would be stuck at home. This article will help us to know the meaning and history behind the name"Trotro" in Ghana.

The name "Trotro" originates from the Ga word "tro" meaning three pence which was the fare paid when on board the vehicle. Therefore the Ghanaian society ended up with the name "Trotro". This name has been in existence since Gold Coast and till today still exists. Trotro is a very common mode of transportation in Ghana. The wide availability and cheap cost make this mode of transportation unbeatable.

However the youth of this modern generation (21st century) having learnt some language lessons and being adapting to western culture have changed the name to "Troski" which they claim sounds modern. Trotros  are mini-vans in various states of repairs which have fold-down seats fitted in the gangways which can carry up to fifteen to sixteen people . They ply any route across the country you could possibly imagine.

One can catch Trotros at lorry stations or the side of the road. If one boards a Trotro at the station, the driver will usually wait until the van is full before he moves the van. This means people can wait for an hour or more and with the fear of loosing their seats, they do not get out of the bus. One of the delights of Trotro travel is shopping through the windows. Most at times at the stations, women and children sell items such as : ice cream, drinks, meat pie, oranges, "insu"( water).

Trotro drivers drive recklessly on the roads by dodging traffic and over taking other cars without considering the consequences of their actions on the passengers. They do all these to get ahead of other Trotro competitors on the road.
 In spite of all these, riding in a Trotro is fun and exciting and also saves cost because its inexpensive.