Driver Banzah

I have been driving since 2000 or 2001, cannot really remember and I hope no one questions me if I have a license or not. That is not what I am about to answer in this post, thank you.

Driving in Ghana is not fun at all and this morning, on my way to legon, I saw something that really got me thinking. I am still wondering how the black man thinks. On the  new N1 Highway, aka George Walker Bush Highway, I saw a couple of trotros (public buses) in an act that needs to be checked by the authorities in this country. They had stopped by the street to pick up passangers when there was a bus stop staring right in the eyes of those four drivers. If you are familiar with this highway, you will know how cars speed and I always move with caution when I am on this highway.
I mean why can’t these drivers follow simple instructions? Is it stupidity, ignorance or illiteracy? I have witnessed so many accidents on that road so anytime I see a motorist misbehave, I get so alarmed and bothered, to say the least. I think the problem comes from the authorities and when I say authorities, I mean the policemen who are suppose to check traffic offenders in the country. They are the cause of all these things going on in the country. The driver knows that, when the policeman arrest him for a traffic offence, all he has to do is to hand him a few cedis and he will be released so they always keep extra cash on them. With this practice, how will we go on as a country? How many of these drivers even have a valid license? Most have worked for so many years without a license. Is this life?

I have bribed the police several times myself, I wont lie, but even though I do this or have done this before, I always question myself. Will I commit the same offence when the law takes it course? I don’t think so because next time, when I see the red light, I will stop. Sometimes you try to correct a trotro/taxi driver and you will be showered with insults even though he is wrong. What kind of mindset is this? My people are always talking about development and when they do, all the want is good roads, electricity, portable drinking water etc but they forget that development starts from obeying simple rules and regulations that govern us as a people. On the real, we will never develop if we don’t start from somewhere.

I don’t cry and go sad when I hear about a gory motor accident nowadays because you will go deep into the story and realize it was because of the driver’s stupidity. Why should I be sad? i beg!! How many of you passengers talk to the driver when he is doing something wrong on the road? You just sit and all you think about is the time you will get to your destination, let’s hope you arrive safely.
Godspeed!!