It has come to The Chronicle’s notice that some commercial drivers plying the Ofankor Barrier to Asofan route have adopted a worrying practice at night. The drivers operate their vehicles without the assistance of mates. In doing so, these drivers deliberately leave the doors of their minibuses (trotros) wide open throughout the journey, so that passengers can alight without requiring the driver to stop and open the door.
While this may seem convenient to the drivers, it poses grave risks to the safety of passengers, especially at night, when visibility is poor. Passengers alighting from moving vehicles or navigating open doors on speeding buses risk severe injuries and in worst case scenario, fatalities.
For many commuters who rely on trotro as their main mode of transport, this disregard for safety has become a source of anxiety.
Public transport in Ghana plays a vital role in moving millions daily, but safety must never be sacrificed in the name of convenience. The recent reports of trotro drivers plying the Ofankor Barrier to Asofan stretch at night without mates and leaving their doors wide open for passengers to board and alight at will, should alarm us all.
This practice is reckless, dangerous and completely unacceptable. A moving vehicle with doors ajar is an accident waiting to happen. Passengers can easily fall off while attempting to get down, especially the elderly, children or those carrying heavy loads. Should such an accident occur, the consequences would be devastating, leaving families broken and communities in grief.
Even more troubling is the fact that this takes place under the noses of the police. There is a barrier along that very stretch, yet this glaring breach of safety regulations appears to be ignored. If our police cannot enforce the most basic road safety standards, then one must question the seriousness with which we approach the protection of lives on our roads.
Commercial drivers must be reminded that transporting human beings is not the same as carrying sacks of goods. Every passenger has a right to safe travel and it is the duty of drivers to ensure this. The excuse of working without mates does not justify leaving doors open while driving. If drivers cannot operate safely without their mates, then they should not ply those routes at all.
We call on the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service to take immediate action. Patrol teams and officers at checkpoints must clamp down on this menace before disaster strikes. Transport unions must also discipline their members and insist on strict adherence to safety standards.
Passengers, too, have a role to play. They must refuse to board trotros that operate with open doors. It is better to endure the inconvenience of waiting a few minutes longer for a safer bus than to risk one’s life.
Ghana has witnessed far too many needless road tragedies. This is an issue we can easily prevent if the right authorities act swiftly. We cannot wait for blood to be spilled before taking corrective measures. Passenger safety must come first.
