Tricycles: Help and danger on wheels

Criss-cross, criss-cross. They are seen everywhere with loads such as flour, fish, bags of sachet water, vegetables, name it. They are cute and helpful and are cross-crossing the streets of the nation, steadily but surely; rolling their small tyres into the transport arena as one major means of transporting goods.

For all the good attributes, they are sometimes just a nuisance on the roads.

But whether you find them useful or a nuisance is not the issue, the petite tricycles have undoubtedly maneuvered their way into the Ghanaian market and economy and are changing lives; taking the loads off peoples’ heads. Indeed the tricycles have come to stay.

The “Chinese tricycles” or Aboboyaa as they are called are gradually flooding the streets of Ghana and making their impact felt in every nook and cranny of the country.

The cargo tricycles are doing a great job by offering job opportunities and making jobs easier for many others

They are small, they are new in the system but they are really useful.

They can be found in all the major cities of the country involved in carting goods from one place to the other.

In other relatively small communities, the tricycles serve as the only means of transport connecting the communities to the towns and cities.

They sometimes are the only means of saving lives in some of the small communites taking sick people to the nearest health post.

 Job creation

Their first obvious importance to the community is the role they play in providing jobs for the youth.

Kwesi Aidoo is a tricycle driver. He has been unemployed for a while but now drives a tricycle carting goods in and around Cape Coast. He says it is better than staying home all day doing nothing.

The Clear Ice Company, a water sachet producing company in Cape Coast, heavily depends on the tricycle for effective delivery of products to its customers.

The Manager of Clear Ice, Mr Mathew Baidoo, said the tricycle was his choice when it came to accessibility.

“Because the tricycle is small, it can go where these big trucks cannot go, in fact it has come in as a great help to companies such as ours,” he stated.

He said the tricycles had come at a better time to support small and medium businesses grow. “It’s a plus for us here,” he said.

The tricycles and the old trucks

There are different “trucks” or carriages in the country which have over the years played immense roles in the socio-economic activities of Ghanaians.

These are commonly referred to as “trucks” made basically from a metal frame with a wooden slate on four wheels.

These have over the years been one crucial means of transportation for all categories of Ghanaians including market women, contractors and artisans.

In recent times, these traditional “trucks,” have been used as “shops” for sale of all kinds of items including utensils, shoes and most commonly coconuts.

Well the rivalry between the “trucks” and the tricycles has just made each of them better.

Kwaku, one of the users of the old “trucks” said, “the aboboyaas have their own uses and market. We also have our market. There is a bit of competition but in the end we all get our share of the market.’”

The convenience of the tricycles

 Unlike the old traditional “trucks” the tricycles are faster and more convenient.

The tricycles move on petrol and are more technologically advanced in its make than the locally made “trucks”.

The tricycles use fuel unlike the traditional ones and operate on gears like those of motorcycles.

Usually, those who drive these tricycles know how to ride a motorcycle or how to drive vehicles.

Buying a tricycle

There are specific places to get these tricycles but they are also available in online markets in different colours. The most popular brands include the Apsonic and the Lou Jia.

 The prices range from GH¢3000 to GH¢9000 depending on the state of the tricycle.

The repairers

Indeed the tricycle has not only provided income for its owners, riders and users, it has also boosted the work of motor repairers.

There are no specialised repairers for the tricycles. Usually, motor cycle repairers also repair the tricycles.

One mechanic, Kwesi, (not real name) said he usually bought spare parts from tricycle dealers in Accra.

“Sometimes if we do not get some of the original parts for the tricycle, we use some spare parts of a motorcycle.”

He said the tricycles were convenient and efficient but noted that many owners were overusing them.

“They break down often because they are usually overloaded. They do more than they are built to do,” he stated.

The Danger

The tricycles do not come without danger.

Many of the riders operate the tricycles without helmet. Some of these tricycle riders are too careless on the roads. They usually overload the vehicles with goods and people, often putting lives  at risk.

The DVLA

The Central Regional Manager of the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA), Mr Emmaunel Klugah, said the DVLA recognised the problem and was working to keep the riders in check.

He indicated that the DVLA’s preliminary inquiries indicated that many of the riders did not have licences.

“They are supposed to be licensed but many of them are not,” he stated.

He said the DVLA was working with other road safety agencies to ensure that the owners and riders did the right thing.

Not For Commercial Use

According to Mr Klugah, the tricycles are by law not for commercial use.

He explained that no tricycle was to be used for commercial purposes.

You can use it for your own errands but it should not be on commercial purposes.

Confusion about Use

Here is the confusion. If I sell sachet water and supply it to a few customers will it be for commercial use or for individual use?

Mr Klugah said owners must not hire them out. “They come under the same law that bans the “okadas,” referring to the motorcycles. You can’t operate a motorcycle on commercial basis in Ghana.

So how would the DVLA know which tricycle is being used on a commercial basis and which one is not?

Mr Klugah said until that was rectified, the DVLA with its collaborating agencies would work to ensure the safety of its users and all other road users.

The activities of tricycles and their drivers need to be streamlined.