Welcome to the Kwame Nkrumah Circle!

If you have ever heard what sounds like "sec-sec-sec!...sec-sec-sec!" around Accra, I can assure you it is nothing mysterious, but the call by tro-tro mates for passengers to board the mini-bus (known as tro-tros) down to Accra's "Kwame Nkrumah Circle".

In other words: this place in the picture I took. This is the major roundabout, with a fairly new sign that exhorts Accra residents to keep the city "clean".

Now, with a number of illiterates among the informal sector, I continue to ask myself how they can understand the note--let alone live up to the principle!!

Ode to the (Psychedelic) Ghanaian Tro-Tro

In my humble opinion, it is an article of decency for any tro-tro owner to make his vehicle as attractive as possible.

Like the ubiquitous taxi, there are tro-tros all over Accra. Many of us are quick to scoff, perhaps suck our teeth, at the insalubriousness of the drivers and the state of the cars they're driving, but there remain a few in the system that go the extra mile, as it were.

Tro-tros like these, which I boarded some two weeks ago. It wasn't only neat; it was also equipped with these psychedelic lights of blue and green fluorescent, which lent it a "disco-ey" feel.

Did I say "long live tro-tros!"?

Only when they're this cool!

Busy, Busy, Accra!

I guess you can gauge how "busy" this picture looks, what with the peanut-seller in the brown skirt looking for customers as the tro-tros come in and out of the station at the famed "37" station; not excluding the taxis to the right of the picture with door ajar--ready to call out to potential customers...

gotta run...!

Sights...and Smells of a Tro-Tro

You would not be in Ghana if you were not to see these commercial vehicles that litter the capital and beyond with yellow license plates.

Some of them are more sophisticated inside than this rudimentary one, and sometimes you'll be the worse for wear if you don't sit strategically, where that means you get stuck between a trader/itinerant vendor, or someone who had his bath aeons ago! Given it's the cheapest form of transport, small wonder you get all sorts!

Whatever vehicle you're in this weekend, ensure you either drive safely, or the driver does!

Shoprite's Fight (Bread) Club @ Least Once a Week!

This scene might probably belie the sheer physicality associated with usually-Friday evenings when one wants to buy a humble piece of bread at Shoprite, Accra Mall. I tell you: it's no mean feat, forming a bee-line to get fresh bread.

Many a time, I've joked that it's like forming a tro-tro line. I think it's frankly unacceptable. Shoprite doesn't have to keep customers waiting like this as if they'd die if they didn't get bread, should they?

Have a great weekend!

Tro-Tro!--Where Angels Don't Fear to Tread...

...on a tro-tro bus?;-)

No need saying this is no photoshop job; I cracked up internally when I saw this, viscerally reaching out for my camera-phone.

Maybe the angels that this tro-tro driver has admonished me of saw me? I need divine intervention every day anyway; they might as well have seen me!:-))

A view from a Tro-tro!

I took this earlier this year. I'm no ace photographer, but I kind of like this one as it is able to depict both speed and purpose.

The purpose being the need to travel home fast!;-)

Have a great weekend!

Soul Food: Fire in the Accra Sky?

Hardly!

Just an evening picture of the sun setting, and coinciding with a tro-tro passing just underneath what looks like the setting sun!

Policeman Stops Tro-Tro...on Spintex Road

Looks like someone's going to have a bad day. I'm thinking it's the tro-tro driver whom I presume is in the green t-shirt.

Scenes like these are common Ghanaian currency, especially in the mornings when Ghanaians are going to work. Tro-tro drivers often capitalise on the chaos of traffic to do all sort of unconventional things, such as driving on shoulders and whatnot. Occasionally, a hawk-eyed police officer will put paid to such antics! The other side of the coin is that the police officer will necessarily stop a tro-tro driver, knowing he can extort money from him!

You pick your choice;-)

Oh, this Accra Traffic!

Do you see the scaleof the traffic that can be visited upon the capital of Accra? Especially at rush-hour? You m ay see from the picture that there's a white van--that's a tro-tro, understandably trying to get in file of the traffic (after having left a shoulder where it dropped off (and took some) passengers).

Meanwhile, despite the green light from the traffic lights, and a bit of movement for vehicles, the density of traffic is nothing to write home about!

Waiting for Godot?: A Typical Ghanaian scene...

Despite the Jubilee and the celebrations, life still goes on. This is why you will find scenes like these, where Ghanaians from all walks of life wait patiently to board the so-called tro-tro bus, which is a very cheap--albeit dangerous--way of commuting;-)

For an overview of different modes of transport available for commuters, please check this link here: http://ekbensahinghana.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_archive.html