The State of Nature in Accra's Trotros: Why Govt Must Act Now

​We are fast descending into a Hobbesian state of nature on the streets of Accra, and our government is standing by as a helpless spectator. Thomas Hobbes famously argued in Leviathan that the primary reason human beings surrender part of their freedom to a government is for protection against the chaotic, selfish impulses of the strong who prey on the weak. When a state fails to regulate human activities and protect its people from blatant exploitation, it forfeits its very moral right to govern. Today, in Ghana’s public transport sector, the Leviathan has effectively folded its arms, leaving ordinary citizens at the mercy of ruthless trotro drivers and conductors.

​It is deeply infuriating that a sector classified as an essential service has been completely abandoned to lawlessness. Public transport is not a luxury; it is the lifeblood of our economy. Yet, trotro drivers now operate with absolute impunity, arbitrarily inflating fares whenever they deem fit. Just this afternoon, I boarded a commercial vehicle from Accra to Kasoa expecting to pay the already hiked fare of Thirteen Ghana Cedis—a steep jump from the previous 10 Cedis. To my absolute horror, the conductor demanded and forcefully took Fifteen Cedis from me, even though my specific drop-off point should have cost no more than Eight Cedis! When I protested, I was met with crude insults and the classic, callous refrain: "If you can't pay, alight and walk!"

​Where is the Ministry of Transport? Where are the local assemblies and the law enforcement agencies?

​While ordinary Ghanaian workers bleed financially on a daily basis, government functionaries and highly paid political appointees sit comfortably in their air-conditioned, V8 SUVs. These public officers enjoy free fuel, state-funded vehicle maintenance, and generous transport allowances paid for by the very taxes extracted from poor citizens. It is the height of insensitivity for those who do not feel the pinch of rising fuel costs to fold their hands while drivers bully the impoverished citizens who voted them into power. If government officials cannot protect us from daylight robbery on public roads, then they have no business occupying those public offices.

​This unchecked madness sets a dangerous precedent for our nation. If the government continues to look away while transport operators hold passengers hostage, what stops other service providers from taking the law into their own hands? Imagine the utter chaos that would consume this country if market women, healthcare workers, utility providers, and landlords decided to arbitrarily double their prices overnight to retaliate against trotro drivers. A society where everyone charges whatever they like because the state refuses to regulate is a recipe for complete anarchy. Something must be done before we are forced into "sweet days of despotism," where the illiterate trotro driver is whipped to act right. Did I just say that? Of course, I said it and that is the bitter truth.

​We did not elect a government to sit on the fence while we are squeezed dry by rogue operators. We elected leaders to enforce order, control pricing, and tame the wild excesses of essential service providers. The current administration must wake up from its slumber, rein in these transport unions, and establish strict, enforceable regulations immediately. The patience of the Ghanaian passenger has worn dangerously thin, and we will no longer tolerate a government that acts like an indifferent bystander while its people are thrown to the wolves.

The author is an Information Officer.