TROTRO: …The most enduring urban transport system and its place in national economy

By Nana Sifa TWUM, PhD

In every major city across Ghana, including Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale, and others, a distinctive sound underscores the rhythm of daily life: the sharp call of a mate announcing “Circle! Circle!” or “Kaneshie last stop!” The trotro is more than merely a mode of transportation; it functions as a cultural emblem, a social gathering space, and an economic driver that sustains the nation’s progress.

Despite its flaws, disputes, misunderstandings, delays, reckless driving, and sometimes the notorious behaviour of drivers and their mates, the trotro system remains the lifeblood of urban mobility in Ghana.

Trotros began as refurbished minibuses and vans, often imported second-hand from Europe and Asia. Over time, the system grew organically, without central planning, into the backbone of Ghana’s public transportation network. By the early 2000s, trotros carried more than 60% of urban commuters, and this proportion remains significant today.

What distinguishes trotros is their informal organisational structure. Stations are overseen by unions such as GPRTU and PROTOA, and drivers frequently serve concurrently as conductors or collaborate with colleagues. Fare agreements are negotiated within a loosely regulated framework. This system has fostered an industry that, despite its chaotic nature, is remarkably efficient, responsive, and profoundly integrated into Ghanaian society.

The daily realities of issues on trotro buses, such as quarrels, delays, and human drama, continue to be characteristics of the transport system. Part of the trotro story is the human theatre that unfolds daily at stations and inside the vehicles. Passengers frequently encounter:

Conflicts and misunderstandings among passengers and between passengers and operators are frequently observed. Tensions emerge over various issues, including fare disputes, change discrepancies, last-minute passenger pickups, and overcrowding. Colleagues sometimes engage in disagreements, drivers exhibit impatience, and commuters often dispute seating arrangements or luggage handling.

Unlike scheduled long-distance buses, trotros operate on a “free-join–and go” method. This reduces costs for operators but often frustrates passengers who have to wait until the vehicle is full. Traffic congestion makes the unpredictability worse.

 

Specific drivers partake in speeding, execute abrupt lane changes, undertake perilous overtaking manoeuvres, and frequently utilise the road shoulder, thereby posing considerable risks to other motorists and pedestrians. While some individuals demonstrate skill and prudence, a minority whose conduct is unsafe has influenced public perceptions.

The drivers’ mates are essential; they load passengers, collect fares, manage luggage, and give directions, but they can also be rude, impatient, or disrespectful, sometimes shouting at passengers or refusing to give change on time. The rude or unpolished behaviour of such mates has been a concern to many passengers. Such patrons of the trotro stereotype trotro mates and are therefore “giving back” the rudeness to them.

Some trotros are inadequately maintained, featuring unclean seats, cracked windows, or an overall unpleasant odour, which passengers often colloquially refer to as “reekyti.” The sector’s informality leads to significant variations in standards. Although these issues are genuine, they do not undermine the significance of trotros to the national economy and social fabric.

Despite all its challenges, the trotro system remains essential in the country’s socio-economic development. Trotro offers profound, undeniable benefits that no alternative currently matches.

Trotros remain the most affordable form of public transportation in Ghana. From students and traders to office workers and labourers, trotros serve everyone. Their affordability ensures mobility even for low-income urban residents who would otherwise face isolation or restricted access to jobs and essential services.

The trotro industry is estimated to employ hundreds of thousands both directly and indirectly, including drivers and their mates, vehicle owners, mechanics and fitters, tyre repairers, fuel station attendants, market vendors, hawkers operating around stations, and administrative personnel. By providing jobs, many of which are accessible to people with lower levels of formal education, the sector plays a significant role in reducing unemployment and easing social pressure.

Trotro stations are among the busiest economic hubs in Ghana. They support street food vendors, water sellers, mobile money operators, hawkers, head porters (kayayei) and other small-scale retailers. The daily convergence of commuters creates a thriving micro-economy that sustains entire families and neighbourhoods.

Every day, millions of Ghanaians rely on trotros to reach workplaces, schools, markets, hospitals, construction sites, and government offices. Without trotros, the country’s productivity would decline sharply. Even professionals who drive private cars have, at some point, relied on trotros during their early career stages.

Trotros carry more than passengers; they carry culture. The witty inscriptions behind buses (“No Food for Lazy Man,” “HW3,” “Nyame Ne Hene”), the energetic conversations, the mix of languages, and the gospel music or reggae tunes all reflect Ghana’s social diversity.

Trotros are moving storytelling platforms where opinions are shaped, jokes are shared, and strangers become temporary communities. It depicts a cultural symbol and reflects Ghanaian urban life. Though often old, trotros still ease traffic congestion by carrying many passengers in a single vehicle. Without them, urban traffic would be much worse as more people would rely on private cars or motorcycles, harming environmental efficiency.

For flexibility and accessibility, trotros in Ghana operate in areas where larger buses or modern transportation systems cannot easily reach. Their routes serve inner communities, narrow streets, and the peri-urban regions, making mobility possible for millions who live far from main roads.

For trotros to continue serving Ghana effectively, key reforms are necessary:

1. Improved regulation and training for drivers and mates
2. Maintenance standards for hygiene and safety
3. Route restructuring to reduce congestion
4. Gradual fleet modernisation to replace ageing minibuses
5. Better customer service practices
6. Digital fare systems to reduce disputes

 

Countries like Kenya and Rwanda have successfully modernised similar informal transport systems. Ghana can learn from such models while preserving the cultural identity of the trotro.

Trotro may be noisy, chaotic, unpredictable, and sometimes uncomfortable, but it is also essential. It continues to be the heartbeat of Ghana’s transportation system. It supports economic activity, sustains families, promotes social integration, and transports the nation’s workforce to their destinations every day.

In its imperfections lies its charm; in its resilience lies its power. The trotro system, despite its flaws, remains one of the most significant pillars of Ghana’s national economy and is likely to continue being so for generations to come.

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