Tro tro



In Ghana and neighboring countries tro tros are privately owned minibus share taxis that travel fixed routes leaving when filled to capacity. While there are tro tro stations, these vehicles for hire can also be boarded anywhere along the route.
Operated by a driver and a conductor, many are decorated with slogans and sayings, often religious. Fewer tro-tros operate on Sundays.
The term is believed to derive from Ga tro, "threepence", the conductors usually asked of tro tro "three three pence" formerly the standard fare around 1940s in the era of the British West African pound and Ghanaian pound.

A popular means of transport

Used by 70% of Ghanaian commuters, tro tro is the most popular form of transport for work and shopping in the country as of 2010. Large buses also provide public transport in Accra, Ghana, as of 2008 and are patronized by people of different social classes.

Regulation

In Ghana tro tro are licensed by the government, but the industry is self-regulated. As of 2008 there was no independent transport authority in Accra, Ghana.
In the absence of a regulatory environment, groups called syndicates oversee minibus share taxis like tro tro in Africa. These may collect dues, set routes, manage terminals, and fix fares. In Accra as of 2008 such syndicates include GPRTU and PROTOA.

Other country

In Mérida, Venezuela, Trolmérida known as tro tro by residents.