Dear Traveler, Here Are 5 Things You Should Know If You’re Using Public Transportation in Ghana
By Karel Mensah
Ghana is a beautiful place to visit, there’s no doubt about it, and Ghanaians are usually the most hospitable people. However, no good tourist destination lets you off easily for not knowing the lay of the land. Right off the bat if you’re too happy-go-lucky and caught up in the enchanting sensation that comes underneath the night sky at the Kotoka International Airport, you’re going to make an easy mark for drivers who are looking to hunt down a big fare. With that in mind, here are some things you should definitely keep in mind when it comes to moving around Accra and other major cities in Ghana.
Don’t Get An Uber From The Terminal
Tip number one is an easy one, but only if you don’t have a lot of luggage. Getting an Uber from the terminals at Kotoka International Airport falls under surge pricing which means you will pay more for the trip getting your Uber at the terminal than if you walked a few meters to the nearby Shell petrol station. That being said, the higher fares are also why you’ll never have to wait too long to get an Uber from the airport.
2. When You Sit In A tro-tro Don’t Forget Your Change
You’ll find the education in pronouncing tro-tro, kelewele (definition: fried plantain as a snack, a national treasure) and the other words that form the heart of Ghanaian living in a separate article.
For now, all you need to know is that a tro-tro is how most people get around in cities. These are large public buses with a driver and a ‘mate’ (definition: person who collects fares in a tro-tro and signals the driver to stop at passengers’ stops) that run all day to all places from all places. If you can’t get where you’re going by one tro-tro, you can probably get there by one more.
Now that you’re in the know, you really want to watch for tro-tro mates when you give them a big note and they have to wait to return your change. Let’s just say, if you forget to ask for your change, do you really want it at all?
3. Don’t Trust Taxi Drivers’ Smiles When They’re Telling You The Price
The first tip is such an obvious one that locals do it instinctively. Always ask for the price before you get in the car. Whenever you take a taxi, you want to ask for the price of the trip before you depart because you lose any bargaining advantage once you’ve reached your destination.
When you do ask for the price, always assume it’s higher than it’s supposed to be and try to negotiate it down. Taxi drivers won’t take trips that aren’t worth their while, so you’ll definitely know if you’ve gone too low.
If you feel you’re not the type to haggle, all I can say is when in Rome… or not, but you get the point.
4. You Should Have Multiple Ride Sharing Apps
This is probably advice that cuts across different countries, but just in case it isn’t, you definitely want to do this. You shouldn’t just have Uber, especially in Ghana, because sometimes drivers are not on the app that you’re on and the wait times can end up being longer than if you had just tried a different app. The big three are Uber, Bolt and Yango, in that order. It’s also usually a good idea to compare prices among those three before making a decision on your trip.
5. Watch Out For The Trip Canceling Drivers
The last thing you should know is that when you’re using a ride sharing app here, you need to confirm the trip because sometimes drivers will cancel on you if it’s too inconvenient. You should always call or text the driver after you’re matched for a trip.
If you’re going somewhere that’s not in the same direction that they’re going they might just cancel it altogether. Some drivers will even ask to cancel the trip on the app entirely, and then charge a higher fare to get you to your destination.
All that being said, Ghanaians are a wholesome people, and quite hospitable to tourists. You can learn a lot from drivers while you’re moving about the city. After all, no one knows all the hidden and exotic spots quite like they do.
