Up to now, I’ve sort of mentioned tro-tros, but it’s about time to give them a fuller explanation. A tro-tro is a passenger van commonly used for public transportation. Common features:
-Maximize space! Each tro-tro may have 3 to 4 rows of seats, holding 3 to 4 people per row. Also, seats fold out into the narrow aisle, so if somebody in the far corner of the back row has to get out, well, then a lot of other people have to get off, then get back on to accommodate that person.
-One person drives, while another person operates the sliding side door (and often the side door has problems closing), collects money from passengers and yells out to pedestrians what direction we’re going in.
-It’s great when the tro-tro has a sign on the dashboard, because sometimes it’s hard to tell where they’re going, and you have to get used to the different locations. For example, the location “Circle” (referring to Nkrumah Circle) often turns into someone yelling what sounds like “Circ Circ Circ Circ”.
-Riding in style: Some tro-tros are decked out with flags or other flair inside, or even ultraviolet lights. Many have some sort of saying written on the back window, usually a religious saying.
-Hold on tight: driving in Accra can be crazy, and vehicles seem like they’re always trying to gain that extra inch and get that much further ahead. The amount of honking is insane, and I think a lot of it is warning honks to alert anyone one around you to watch out, here I come!
No comments:
Post a Comment