Trotro drivers convert Dome crossing road into mini station

Motorists who ply the Dome crossing road have to manoeuvre through a single lane as Commercial bus (trotro) drivers have evaded both sides of the double-carriage road by converting it into a mini-station.

The move by these drivers has led to heavy vehicular traffic on the stretch.

This comes on the back of the closure of the main road for construction of the Dome bridge which used to be in a deplorable state.

Drivers have to carefully drive on the now single lane to avoid breaking their side mirrors or running into the buses parked on both sides of the single carriage road.

Some drivers at the Dome crossing taxi rank who spoke to GhanaWeb during a visit by the news team revealed that several attempts by police personnel from the Atomic Police Station to drive the trotro drivers away have proven futile.

The situation at the spot is gradually getting out of hand as these 'trotro' drivers have refused to make way for other vehicles to freely use the road. The number of mini-buses found along the road has also impeded pedestrians' movement.

“These drivers are making matters worse by parking at wrong spots and they have refused to listen to us. Police Officers from the Atomic Police Station came to drive them away but that still didn’t stop them. It seems the laws in this country are not working,” Akwesi Darko, a taxi driver at the Dome crossing taxi rank told GhanaWeb in an interview.

Though a temporal station has been created for the trotro drivers pending the completion of the bridge, they still insist that taking over one side of the road is their preference, a situation other motorists and traders along the stretch are not pleased with.

“These trotro drivers are causing so much inconvenience for us. Space was provided for them, but they have refused to operate from there leading to the heavy traffic,” says a taxi driver, Andrew.

“The trotro drivers have to move to the temporal station provided for them. Pedestrians have been knocked down on this road by motorcycles because the drivers have blocked the road,” Aunty Lapaz, a trader at Dome crossing told GhanaWeb.

The group of drivers who have unlawfully invaded parts of the road admitted that their operations have created inconveniences on the stretch but were quick to add that measures were put in place to reduce the traffic.

“We have converted the road into a station because of the works on the bridge to ensure that cars are available to passengers. We have encountered some problems with authorities but our driver’s union will soon take over so we can properly start operation. Traffic occurs here only when drivers pack in the middle of the road,” one of them, Alex Owusu said.

“Cars form Accra to Estate and Kwabenya can't cross over and that is why we are parked here. Passengers alight at the other side and use the temporal footbridge to get here. We, in turn, transport them to their final destination”.

They also called for the works on the bridge to speed up as that will make them return to their station and end the troubles they’re creating.

In an earlier interview with GhanaWeb on February 7, 2020, the Municipal NADMO Director of Ga-East, Seth Osei Kissi, said the project which is being undertaken by Sadalco Limited is expected to be completed by the end of March 2020.