Tap n’ Go ticketing system can never work as ‘trotro’ – GPRTU

The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has rubbished assertions by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia that the newly introduced automated transport ticketing system “Tap n’ Go” will eventually be rolled out on intra-city transport minivans popularly known as ‘trotro’

Speaking at the launch of the Tap n’ Go app, Dr Bawumia who rebuffed allegations that the new system was just a replica of the Ayalolo bus system from the erstwhile Mahama administration revealed that, unlike the closed loop system of the Ayalolo cards that could only be used for the Ayalolo buses, the Tap n’ Go app would, over time, have all public transport, including trotros enrolled on it.

“The Tap n’ Go system is really remarkable. It’s revolutionary for us as a country because we are putting all public transport on one platform. So, if you get up and you go for a trotro over time, you should be able to tap and go. If you leave the trotro and you have to take a bus, you should be able to Tap n’ Go with Metro Mass,” he said at the launch.

But reacting to this, the Industrial Relations Officer of the GPRTU, Abass Moro says the vice president’s aim to have the Tap n’ Go system on trotro’s is not possible.

“Tap n’ Go can never work in trotro. He said what he thinks he should say, but it is not going to be workable because of the system trotro drivers are operating. It can be used in taxis and long-distance vehicles, but trotros no!” he stated on Starr Today with Joshua Kodjo Mensah on Monday.

“Trotros are mostly used for short distances and the way it operates, one joint, trotro can be full, move about a mile, half of the passengers will alight from the trotro, then you will be picking one after the other. Are you saying halfway the journey, if he’s going to pick somebody and the network is not good for about five minutes, a trotro driver will be standing by one passenger? The answer is no, so it can never, never, never, never, never, never, work with trotro,” Abass Moro explained.

Abass Moro further attributed what he describes as the erroneous claim by the Vice President to a lack of consultation with the GPRTU.

“If we were consulted, we would have told him the truth. Why would you tell lies to your brother to laugh, when in the end, your brother will meet the truth and be crying, it can never work. The trotro system we operate cannot operate any digital system,” he insisted.

Abass Moro has also questioned the level of awareness created in getting people to opt for the card system, especially, as many people still have funds locked up on their Ayalolo card.

“Have we educated our people enough to keep their money on cards?
The first system introduced is the Ayololo. So many passengers have their money locked up on those cards as that system was abandoned halfway,” he further questioned.

The Tap n’ Go transport service, according to the government, is a multi-functional digital platform for the transport ecosystem of Ghana designed to provide services in intra and inter-city bus services, trotro, parcel delivery and tracking, loading taxi service, trains and the call on demand uber-like service.