Dangerous Transportation

Eassy by Liam Payton

          The main source of public transportation in Ghana is through the use of a tro tro.  These vehicles are privately owned public transportation machines. Few regulations exist upon these vehicles and often times travel by these vehicles can be hazardous.  In an attempt to make public transportation in an urban setting safer this project will focus on bringing the quality of the transportation provided by the tro tros up to a higher standard.   Maintenance and safety precautions could be taken to allow for safer trips to and from destinations.  To make these changes unemployed “straighters” will be utilized from Kumasi.  In this town one of the world’s largest industrial slums exists.  Within this slum are many individuals who posses the know-how and ability to maintain, repair and modernize vehicles.  These people could be used to overhaul Ghana’s fleet of dilapidated tro tros and make them safer for passengers, drivers, pedestrians and other motorists.  Allowing operators of safe vehicles discounts on fuel will give an incentive to make these safety modifications.  Along with safety emissions will also be a concern.  Emission control devices such as catalytic converters and mufflers will be made mandatory for these safe vehicles and will be necessary to obtain the discount on fuel.  Funding for this project will be comprised of five major partners: the Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP), Mercedes, Volkswagen, the Ghana Ministry of Transportation, and the Dutch government. 

          The primary concern of this project is to make the public transportation in the city of Kumasi safer.  With a population of over 1.5 million[1] a practical mass transit system is necessary.  Currently there is no state sponsored public transportation in the city of Kumasi.  There are state supported busses that travel cross country but nothing specific in the city of Kumasi that is intended for intercity travel.[2]  To accommodate this lack of service a private sector has emerged that provides intercity transportation.  These private operators use whatever vehicles they can find to carry passengers.  Any vehicle in the country of Ghana that commercially transports people and is bigger than a taxi cab is known as a tro tro. Maintenance is not a primary concern when operating one of these vehicles and they become dilapidated fairly quickly.  In the event that something breaks it is up to the driver to fix it and no regulations or safety standards are in place to make sure that the vehicle is fit to carry passengers.  Exhaust pipes are often exposed to inside the cabs of the vehicles causing burns to daily riders.  Exhaust systems often are not adequate and allow fumes to come directly into the passenger compartment of the vehicles.  Brakes are rarely checked and the stopping power of the vehicles is dismal.  Seat belts are not available and the presence of working doors is a luxury.  Many times a door consists of a piece of rope to offer a visual barrier of where not to fall out of.  Floorboards may be missing causing an open hole to the road below which can be very dangerous due to things falling out of the tro tros and debris or projectiles coming into the cab of the vehicle.  Emissions are another concern as there are no emission controls on these commercial vehicles.  Items such as catalytic converters are often times removed or broken.  Other emission control devices are disabled in an attempt to make the vehicle run better. 

          Aside from the condition of the vehicle the condition of the driver also plays a role in the safety of the passenger.  With no regulations on drinking and driving it is not uncommon to see a tro tro driver drinking a bottle of booze while driving passengers down the road.  Speed limits are also a concern when traveling by tro tro.  Many drivers do not pay attention to speed limits or other traffic laws.  In an effort to make the daily commute for citizens of Ghana safer it would be mandatory to promote safe drivers and offer rewards to those who obey traffic laws and stay sober.  Tro tro accidents were responsible for over 9,000 casualties between the years of 1994 and 1998[3].  It is the hope of this project to reduce these numbers and make public transportation in Kumasi less of a risk.  Tro tro accidents are the second largest percent of vehicle accidents in Ghana.  The first is pedestrians (please see table five on attached article, Pattern of Road traffic injuries in Ghana: Implications for control).  Many of these accidents occur due to people trying to board tro tros in busy streets where there are no sidewalks. 

The Plan

          To make the daily commute in Kumasi safer this project focuses on making the main mode of public transportation safer.  In an attempt to reduce fatalities and make the public transportation system more responsive to the needs of its customers, safety will be the primary concern.  Tro tro operators will be given incentives for adhering to safety standard and will be allowed to display on their vehicles that they are operating a safer form of public transportation. 

Incentive

          Owners of the tro tros will have to want to invest in their vehicles to make them safer.  An incentive must be offered to make the owners willingly alter their style of business in an attempt to better serve their customers.  Currently the tro tros have a monopoly on affordable public transportation and offer whatever quality of service they see fit.  In an effort to make safety attractive, a discount on gasoline will be given to vehicles that have met the safety standards.  A discount of $0.02[4] per gallon of gasoline will be given to those vehicles which meet the safety standards.  This seems like a small incentive but considering that these vehicles are on the road about fifteen hours a day it would save the owners a substantial amount of money over the course of a year.  Considering that the average passenger van gets 20 miles to the gallon[5] it would become lucrative for the owners of tro tros to invest in bringing their vehicles up to code with safety regulations.  The current price of gasoline in Ghana per gallon is 34,850 cedis, or about $3.77 US dollars.  Granted the two cents per gallon incentive would not be a huge chunk of change it would add up to a decent incentive.  Estimating that a passenger van traveling 500 miles a day would burn 30 gallons of fuel the driver would save $0.60 per day.  If the tro tro operates 300 days a year the operation will save $180.00 per year.  In a country where the GDP per capita is $2,500 and the top 2% of the population control 30% of the wealth[6] this would be a large incentive for most tro tro operators. 

          In order to regulate the dispensing of the discounted fuel the aid of one gas station in the city of Kumasi will be employed.  This gas station will be the only place to receive the discounted fuel.  In order to receive the fuel identification will have to be shown for the vehicle and the attendant at the gas station will have to verify that it is the vehicle for which the identification is for.  Benefits for this gas station will include more fuel sales and an increase in the volume of traffic it receives.  A monetary subsidy will also be given for the extra labor and paperwork involved in dispensing the discounted gasoline.  The compensation for the discounted gasoline will be paid to the gas station as a subsidy for providing the safe tro tros with this service.  In order to ensure that only certain vehicles are provided with the discounted fuel a system of recording the fuel given to safe tro tros will have to be implemented at the gas station.  Having the drivers sign a log book would help keep track of who is consuming the fuel and how much they are consuming.  These logs will be tracked by a representative from the Ghana ministry of transportation.  This will allow for governmental oversight into the program.  Allowing the Ministry of transportation oversight into the project will make them more aware of how the project is doing and make audits easier to asses.  The ministry has the ability to track records and to perform audits so allowing them oversight of the allocations of fuel seems like the most logical choice.  

          To identify those vehicles who have met safety regulations a special logo will be offered to be stenciled on the sides of the vehicle.  This decal will be available exclusively at the repair shop where the safety inspections take place.  Having the decal will allow the drivers to have pride in the vehicles that they are driving and it will let passengers know that they are riding in a safe vehicle.  Displaying this decal will signify that the vehicle has gone through the safety inspection and passed.  It will also make identifying the vehicles who receive a discount on fuel easier. 

Safety regulations

          Having safe public transportation is essential for a modern society.  People need to travel to get to work and normally a government, whether it be local or national, provides its citizens with public transportation.  In Ghana the government has not done this and private operators have picked up the slack.  Unfortunately there are few regulations on the quality of service provided.  Safety regulations are left to the discretion of the drivers.  In an attempt to make the daily commute of thousands of people safer a new set of safety regulations would be implemented.  These regulations would not be mandatory but would qualify participants to receive discounted fuel.  If a tro tro met certain safety criteria it would be allowed to purchase fuel at a cheaper price than it would normally be able to. 

          Regulations would address issues such as: brakes, tire treads, exhaust systems, passengers staying inside of the vehicles, floorboards, lights, securing cargo and maximum capacities.  Simple issues that if addressed would cut down on the casualties caused by unsafe tro tros.  To come up with the exact safety regulations the ministry of transportation would have to create reasonable safety expectations that would be an improvement upon a current lack of safety regulations.  The Ministry of Transportation has a history of working with the Dutch government to improve their capacity.  Working with the Dutch Ministry of Transportation would allow for an outside opinion on what safe vehicles should look like.  Bringing in outside experts would allow the Ghana Ministry of Transportation to decide on safer regulation and still tailor these issues to its own culturally specific needs. The infrastructure of the ministry of transportation seems able to create such regulations but the enforcement of the regulations is not so easy.  Police power would not be able to enforce a mandatory change in the safety of public transportation.  Operators and passengers alike would probably become very angry if their daily commute was delayed by safety inspections. Voluntary acceptance of safety regulations would be the easiest way to impose the regulations upon the public transportation sector.  Once these regulations are decided upon there will be the problem of making the changes to the aging fleet of tro tros.

          Along with safety regulations, emission regulations would also play a part in the inspection process.  An inspector would have to check vehicles and make sure that things such as catalytic converters, PCV valves and EGR valves are in place.  These devices reduce the emissions created by vehicles.  This process would be encouraged by the CCAP and provide an incentive for funding from this NGO.  The Ghana ministry of transportation has a history of working with outside organizations.  Currently they are working with the Italian and Dutch governments to provide better transportation services[7].  Working with an NGO to aid in emission controls would provide both funding and knowledge of how to implement the regulations.  Having a vehicle properly tuned also reduces emissions.  With the proper tuning of vehicles gas mileage is also increased.  This would provide operators of tro tros an incentive to have their vehicles maintained because their operating costs would go down. 

          Driver education is also a major problem in Ghana.  The requirements for getting a license are fairly lax and the amount of corruption involved in the licensing process is fairly high[8].  If drivers were made to take a road literacy exam wile having their vehicles inspected it would ensure that they were aware of traffic laws.  An inspector would be responsible for giving them a short verbal exam while their vehicles were being inspected.  If answers given were incorrect the inspector would inform them of the proper regulations and traffic laws.  This would make sure that the drivers of these safe tro tros are at least aware of the traffic laws. 

Repair shop

Making public transportation vehicles safe will not be an easy task.  However the most difficult part of it will be making the drivers take the initiative to have their vehicles repaired.  By offering the incentive of cheaper fuel many drivers will be persuaded to make minor repairs to their vehicles in order to qualify for the discount.  The next problem is where to have the repairs done at.  A plot of land with a warehouse on it would have to be obtained to act as a repair shop.  This could be placed in one of the industrial slums within Kumasi.  This repair shop will also act as the inspection point and the repair station for tro tros that wish to qualify for the discount on fuel.  If a tro tro already meets the safety standards they will only have to go through the inspection process to qualify for the program.  If a tro tro does not meet the safety standards and still wishes to participate in the program there are two options.  The owner can bring the vehicle up to proper safety standards or he can pay to have it fixed at the repair shop.  Within Kumasi there are many unemployed mechanics that have been able to repair and rebuild vehicles using few new materials and mainly operating with scavenged parts that are readily available throughout the slums (please see attached article).  These straighters are able to build new vehicles out of parts from other vehicles and are able to repair almost anything.  By learning to fix things with no new inputs they have become very resourceful and are able to work on almost all vehicles.    Many are looking for steady work and would probably be happy to have a stable job.  Considering the relatively low cost of labor in African countries it would be feasible to employ five of these straighters.  The sole job of these five mechanics would be to repair tro tros and make them meet safety regulations.  Owners of tro tros would be able to bring their vehicles into the shop for routine maintenance or for repairs which would bring them up to safety standards.  Fees would be modest and subsidized by the CCAP and the Ghana Ministry of Transportation.  The exact price of the repairs and the amount that is paid by the operators will depend on the annual funding that the shop gets and the projected amount of vehicles that the shop will service.  This funding will subsidize the price of repairs but not offer free repairs.  Providing maintenance and repairs would give tro tro owners a place to have their vehicles fixed properly and ensure that the vehicles carrying passengers are not deathtraps. 

Employed at this repair shop will be the five mechanics and an additional two people.  A manager will be in charge of keeping inventory on parts and tools.  This manager will also be in charge of managing the mechanics under their employ.  He will report directly to an official from the ministry of transportation and will keep records of how many vehicles were repaired and what was done to them.  Another person employed here will be an inspector.  This person will be in charge of inspecting the vehicles that wish to qualify for the program.  Knowledge of vehicles and the current safety regulations will be mandatory for this position.  The ministry of transportation will appoint and pay this person.  Due to the significance of this job it is best that it be a governmental official who administers the inspections.  This person will also be in charge of making sure that the repair work done in the repair shop is of quality work and meets safety regulations. 

Capacity for this repair shop will be limited due to the limited amount of people employed in it.  However the amount of vehicles that should be able to pass through the shop should make a significant difference in the safety of transportation.  A requirement of one safety check every year for vehicles qualifying for the program will make sure that the vintage tro tros are kept up to current safety regulations and that drivers are not abusing the system of fuel discounts.  The required annual safety checks will be sponsored by the repair shop will allow the tro tros to maintain their standard of safety and make sure that they qualify for the fuel incentive program. 

Donor and participant Roles

          The main participant in this project will be the Ghana Ministry of Transportation.  They will be in charge of setting the safety regulations and implementing them.  The implementation will be through the inspector at the repair shop and the distribution of discounted fuel.  The government will also provide the plot of land and warehouse in which the repair shop will be housed.  Employees at the repair shop will be employees of the ministry of transportation and be paid by them. 

          The Center for Clean Air Policy will provide training to the inspector and the mechanics on how to make cars more environmentally friendly and the use of emissions controls.  They will also provide training on how to properly tune vehicles to make them more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly.  This is consistent with their mission statement[9] and should be fairly cost effective.  The CCAP will also provide tool sets for use by the mechanics to make repairs to the vehicles. 

          Car manufacturers such as Mercedes and Volkswagen will also help out with this project.  A majority of the vehicles used as tro tros are Volkswagen buses and Mercedes euro vans[10].  This makes sense due to the colonial history of Ghana and the aid and influences given to it in the last thirty years.   The part of these car manufacturers would be to donate surplus repair parts such as alternators or water pumps.  Along with parts donations, the surplus supplies would include repair supplies such as gaskets and lubrication.  Many vehicle manufacturers have surplus vehicle supplies that are slightly damaged or cosmetically unfit for resale.  These parts could be donated to the Ghana Ministry of Transportation instead of thrown away.  With these parts the mechanics at the repair shop could further repair tro tros and make them safer and more reliable. 

          The Dutch Government would be the last actor in this project and would provide the subsidy for the discounted fuel prices.  The Dutch government has shown an interest in the public transportation of Ghana.  In the past and currently they are providing Ghana with grants to improve transportation and are actively working with Ghana to improve transportation[11].  Projects such as the Oret grant allow Ghana to purchase busses that can be used for travel across the country[12].  The cost of the fuel subsidy would be the most expensive part of this project.  The previous projection for savings in fuel would be $180 per project participant per year.  The goal for enrolment for the first year is fifty vehicles.  The cost for the discounted fuel for these fifty vehicles would be $9,000. 

Evaluation of project

          The evaluation of the project would have to focus on whether or no the goals of the project were being met.  Safety is the primary goal so there would have to be a way to measure the safety of the private sector of public transportation in Kumasi.  Simple tools such as statistics for traffic casualties and accidents could be consulted and if there is a drop in the accidents involving tro tros then it would be a simple indicator of if the program is working.  Records of traffic accidents are kept by the Ghana police department on an annual basis.  They are even broken down into categories such as what percent of the accidents involved tro tros.  Beyond this there would have to be other ways of evaluating the program that would be more specific to the view of the individuals who this project is affecting.

          Surveys could be given to the drivers of the tro tros as they have their vehicles inspected or refueled.  Since there is only one place where the drivers can get discounted fuel and one place to have the inspections done it would be fairly simple to find the drivers of these safe vehicles and give them a simple verbal survey.  This survey would be done by the Ghana Ministry of Transportation as part of a record of how the project is working.  Another way of finding out how this project is affecting individuals would be to ride along on one of the safe tro tros and ask other riders if they feel a greater peace of mind while riding in one of these vehicles.  The verbal surveys would not be too expensive and could be done at six month intervals.  Having records of the individuals who are being affected by this project would complement the records of traffic accidents and allow for a cross reference of how the project is working. 

          Environmental issues would be a little more difficult to measure.  Random air samples reflecting parts per thousand of carbon monoxide in the air of Kumasi would be taken to see if there has been any reduction in emissions within the city.  Satellite imaging could be used to check the temperature and smog levels of the city to start a record and use it for referencing.  The CCAP would be in charge of monitoring the environmental impact of the program along with help from the Ghana Ministry of Health who currently keeps some records concerning air pollutants. 

          The effectiveness of the repair shop would be documented by the manager of the repair shop.  Inventory of all parts received and used will be kept and will be open to review from the vehicle manufacturers who are providing parts.  An open invitation for inspection from representatives of the vehicle manufacturing companies will be given.  This will allow the companies to see for themselves what is being done with the parts and allow them to give input on proper mechanical practices if they so desire.  Records will also be kept of which vehicles are being repaired, what is being done to them and at what frequency.  This will show what the major problems with the tro tros are and allow the Ministry of Transportation to tailor its policies to these problems. 

          Financially the project will have to be transparent and all allocations must be shown on an annual basis and open to review.  The Ministry of transportation will be in charge of this report being that they are overseeing this project. 

Potential problems with the project

          The main foreseeable problem with this project will be corruption.  The inspector at the repair station is going to have a lot of power concerning the verification of safe vehicles.  It is possible that he could be bribed by tro tro operators so that they can receive the discount on gasoline.  To avoid this there will have to be a specific procedure that the inspector must go through every time he inspects a vehicle and a checklist must be made to insure that certain parts of the vehicle are looked at.  This inspector is the most crucial part of the project and will have to be a person appointed by the Ghana Ministry of Transportation.  He will be subject to internal reviews and all regulations that pertain to the government job.

          The gas station will also be a potential point of corruption.  The attendants could give the discounted fuel to people who do not deserve it.  To combat this there will have to be a method of recording who the fuel went to and how much of it went to a specific vehicle.  These records will have to go to review by the Ministry of Transportation. 

          Inventory at the repair shop will have to be kept on all of the parts used to make sure that the mechanics are not stealing them or reselling them on the black market.  This inventory will also show which parts are most needed and how often they are used. 

          Enforcement of safe driving practices will be an issue for the safe tro tros.  There will have to be cooperation from the Ghana police to record the presence of traffic violations by drivers of the safe tro tros.  A policy will have to be put in place to discontinue the discounted fuel if there are violations of traffic laws.  The presence of the decal on the side of the vehicle should make it easier to identify the safer vehicles. 

          Finding capable mechanics will be another difficulty that this project will endure.  There are mechanics living in Kumasi who are unemployed and looking for work.  This would be a starting place for finding employees.  The inspector would have to hire a manager and they would have to spend some time looking for five mechanics or straighters who would be qualified for the job of fixing the tro tros of Kumasi.  A job description would have to be written and there would have to be some sort of hiring process to find good mechanics. 

          There is very little potential for this to become a money making project.  Most public transportation projects are funded by municipal or national governments.  This project allows the government of Ghana to make the public transportation safer and reduce the amount of deaths attributed to this form of transportation.  This project will require annual funding from the government and continual monitoring of the project.  The amount of money required for investment will be minimal as the government does not have to provide any vehicles or drivers.  It is only employing seven people and providing a piece of land to operate upon.  One potential problem with incorporating the government into this project is slow start up time. The policies and safety regulations will have to be agrees upon.  The Dutch Ministry of Transportation will have to be consulted along with the CCAP.  Bringing people together and deciding upon common goals may be difficult.  However it would be the best way of setting the regulations.  It the Ghana Ministry of Transportation is involved with setting the safety regulations they will have a more vested interest in seeing them work.  Once the project is up and running there will be some administrative costs and burdens that the Ministry of Transportation will have to absorb.  Accounting and reports will have to be done for this project.  Due to the small scale of this project and the limited amount of people working for it the paper work should not be to cumbersome.  The main cost of the project will be paid for by the Dutch government and will give incentive for the government of Ghana to cooperate with the project. 

Budget (please see attached budget)

Repair shop:  The land and warehouse for the repair shop will be paid for by the Government of Ghana.  This will allow the Ministry of transportation to own and operate the land that the project is based on. Land prices in Kumasi are not to expensive so the Ministry should be able to find a piece of land with a building already on it for fairly cheap.  The funding for the warehouse is for repairs and retrofitting that the warehouse may need before it is used for the project.  There is also an annual maintenance budget that will go into keeping the shop in working condition and make sure that it does not become dilapidated. 

Payroll:       The wages for the seven workers will be paid by the Ministry of Transportation. This will provide the ministry with a way of overseeing the quality of work being done at the shop.  Due to the low cost of wages the financial burden should not be too heavy.  Along with overseeing the quality of work the ministry will also be able to make sure that the safety regulations are being met.  The base annual wage for the workers are: Inspector - $600.00, Manager - $550.00, Mechanic - $500.00.  The wages will also be subject to a $10.00 per year raise.  The total cost for the first year of wages is $2,650.00.  With a maximum increase of $70.00 per year if no new workers are added and all old workers are retained. 

Tools:                   Basic metric tools would be needed to perform repairs the department store Sears offers industrial quality metric tool sets starting at $700.00.  The extra $300.00 is budgeted for talking to the mechanics at the repair shop and figuring out what tools they need to perform their jobs.  The annual tool budget is meant for replacing broken or worn out tools throughout the year.  An SAE tool set is not required due to the lack of American made vehicles in service in Ghana.  Only a metric set of tools will be needed to repair the aging fleet of tro tros in Ghana. 

Training:    This will be provided by a person hired by the CCAP.  The initial training will focus on training the mechanics and the inspector on how to properly fix vehicles.  It will also show the manager how to keep inventory on the supplies and how to manage a shop.  An emphasis on ecologically sound vehicles will be placed on the repair methods along with meeting the safety standards.  This trainer will have to work with the Ministry of Transportation to make sure the training issued is in compliance with safety standards.  The annual retraining will focus on refreshing the practices of the workers and making sure they have the knowledge necessary to do their jobs.  All training will be done on site.  The initial training should take one week to complete and the annual retraining will take one day. 

Administrative costs:     These costs will be absorbed by the Ministry of transportation and will focus on keeping track of the progress of the program.  It will have to include record keeping and oversight of the project.  It will be a recurring cost because it will be done continuously while the project is going on.  Since there are only seven employees the paperwork on payroll should not be too much.  Keeping track of the fuel subsidies will require some record keeping and keeping track of which vehicles have been declared safe will also require some extra paper work.  There will also have to be some referencing of traffic statistics to see if the project is working and evaluations will have to be done.  The police will also have to be consulted and will have to be made aware of the project. 

Fuel Subsidy:                 The subsidy for fuel will come from the Dutch government.  The projection for safe vehicles in the first year is fifty vehicles and that total comes to $9,000.00.  This funding will come in the form of a grant and will allow the Ministry of Transportation to provide discounted fuel at a specific gas station.  After the first year the amount of vehicles under the program is projected to rise by thirty vehicles per year or $5,400.00 per year.  This annual enrollment will eventually end due to only a certain amount of total tro tros in operation in Kumasi.  There are no definite numbers on how many tro tros are in operation however the total amount in operation in Kumasi should not exceed 200.  If it does exceed a certain amount of vehicles a cap will be placed on the amount of vehicles allowed into the program.  Or standards of safety regulations could be increased. 

Shipping Costs of Parts:         This cost will be paid for by the vehicle manufacturers who are providing the parts.  The cost of freight is fairly expensive but most vehicle manufacturers get large volume breaks in shipping costs.  By having the manufacturers pay for the shipping they can send parts whenever they have some to spare.  There will have to be reporting of what parts are not needed and which parts are.  This communication will happen between the shop manager and the manufacturers using the Ministry of Transportation as a middleman. 

Planning Costs:   These costs will include the meetings that will have to take place to agree upon safety and environmental control regulations.  The Dutch government will host these meetings and allow representatives from the Ghana Ministry of Transportation and the CCAP to attend.  Once there has been a reasonable consensus has been agreed upon there will have to be a charter written and other paper work drafted.  This process will be funded by the Dutch government and allow them to have some oversight into the process.  However it must be understood that things such as airbags and anti lock braking systems are probably not going to be installed on all of the vehicles.  Electric engines are also out of the question.