Trotro Mornings in Accra: The Beautiful Chaos & The Calm

Trotro Mornings: The Chaos and the Calm

Trotro Mornings in Accra: The Beautiful Chaos of Ghana’s Early Commute (Image author: JulianGrayscales)

In Accra, it is 5:30 a.m. The sky is still drowsy, with gentle oranges mingling with the night’s waning black. The city’s limbs are being stretched. A street vendor shouts, “Koko! Koko!” as their voice reverberates down the drowsy walls of the courtyard, and somewhere in the distance, the sizzle of frying koose fills the air. After grabbing her bags and saying a brief prayer, Ama, a 27-year-old HR assistant, locks her door. She is aware that she could be late for work or worse, stranded in a crowded taxi with no air conditioning and a companion who forgets change, if she doesn’t reach the intersection by 6:00 am.

The side of the road is already alive. While hawkers balance everything from boiled eggs to sachet water on their heads, schoolchildren in uniforms too large for their bodies pursue one other. Exhausted smoke is blown into the air as a trotro pulls up. It shrieks to a stop.

“Mate! Madina!”

“Three back!”

“Make wild, I dey go Circle!”

“Senior, abeg shift small!”

Although there is mayhem, it is well-organized. While balancing fares, arguing over change, and keeping an eye on who is getting off at which stop, the mate shouts his way through it all. While one woman loudly preaches about repentance, another yells about being given “chale wote coins” rather than clean notes. She is not told to stop. The noise then starts to subside shortly after Abeka Junction. A lullaby-like murmur emanates from the engine. Every pothole causes the heads of the passengers to bounce awkwardly as they fall asleep. A pupil stealthily goes through her notes. Ama watches the city as the morning light streams in through the window.

The trotro transforms into more than just a car in this silence. It represents a portion of Ghanaian life. A place of tension, humor, tolerance, and unanticipated human connection. It’s where you hear strangers teach you valuable things, see small disputes that make you laugh, and feel like you’re a part of something greater. Ama takes a big breath upon finally landing at Circle, taking in not just the fumes but also the vitality of a city that never truly sleeps. Already mentally getting ready for the ride home, she straightens her clothes, repositions her ID card, and starts her workday. Because each morning ride is a fresh episode in Ghana. Furthermore, no two are ever alike.

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