THE GHANA TRO-TRO, OUR FRIENDLY REMINDER.

There are a lot of things that catches one’s eye upon arrival in Ghana especially Accra but nothing is as eye catching and attention grabbing like the Tro-tro. One can easily spot a tro-tro whether in the day or at night. Most of them are either still working and picking up passengers or on their way home with empty seats but what is always eye catching about it is not the time at which they operate nor the rampant number of it that can be seen in Ghana. What is recognizably different and extra ordinary about these buses are the inscriptions on them. This is a unique feature of the Ghana Tro-tro that often leaves one in awe and bewilderment. 

These inscriptions can regularly be seen at the back or on the windshield. It could be in a form of a religious affirmation, a picture of a religious leader, a brief motivational statement, a proverb, a funny statement and even sometimes just a word. These inscriptions are things that drivers and owners of the car can relate to from personal experiences and want to convey to others. They can also be a vague inscription to meet the trend attached to a picture of a popular Ghanaian musician or perhaps that of a foreign musician like the Stonebwoy and Bob Marley ones seen around day in, day out. Whiles some are complete sentences; others are phrases with errors in them. None the less, there is always a hidden meaning behind them and are used to create awareness either in the form of a bible verse, a warning or an advice, a relief from stress or a distraction from the everyday hustle and bustle. Regardless of the intentions of the drivers and car owners with these inscriptions, undoubtedly, most of them serve as a reality-check for pedestrians, passengers and other drivers.

Some inscriptions encourage people to pause in their steps and reflect on life. They serve as a reminder, on not only the importance of living in the moment and Carpe diem which means “to seize the day” in Latin, but also on the brevity of life. People become conscious and informed on a decision to be made. Some people even get inspired by these inscriptions and take them as a sign they were looking for to take an endeavor in life. These writings make individuals aware of something so much that it causes reflection about an event that took place in their life. 

                                                                                                 

The inscription here which states in the Asante Twi language “nkodaa bedidi” is not only telling us why the driver is driving a tro-tro bus but it is also reminding others of the reason why they should work, especially, parents. It translates as “the children have to eat” which will definitely enlighten a parent on the reason why they should be working. It is a friendly reminder that will unwrap their thinking of the welfare of their children whether by the driver’s intention or not. It is almost likely the tro-tro buses in Ghana indirectly create a specific messaging campaign about a particular issue thereby raising awareness, informing and shedding light on public issues that everyone can relate to. As unbelievable as it may sound, a Ghana tro-tro can make one reflect on life and change their attitude or behavior. One can even say it is a force to be reckoned with when you visit Ghana.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                   
                                               Author: Jessica Fati Gyimah