TRO-TRO SERVICE INTRODUCED IN WA (PAGE 20)

FOR the first time in the history of Wa, the capital of the Upper West Region, trotro service has been introduced in the municipality.
The development, for some people, is not new but for those of us working in the region, especially in Wa, this is big news. For the benefit of those who do not know, this is the only part of Ghana, where taxi services are for ‘dropping’ or chartering only.
Unlike Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and other parts of the country where one can pay 50Gp for a short distance, the reverse is the case in Wa.
The new development is the result of the increase in student population of the Faculty of Integrated Studies of the University for Development Studies (UDS).
Taxi drivers have had a field day charging exorbitant charges ranging from GH¢5 to GH¢10 because of the situation.
The hardships experienced by the students have compelled some kind-hearted individuals to put their Urvan buses at their service.
For a journey of about seven kilometres, that is, from downtown Wa to the new campus of the university, the Urvan buses charge a flat rate of 50Gp.
The gesture of the Urvan bus drivers has brought so much relief to the students that they are calling on more people to get into the trotro business in order to break the monopoly of the taxi drivers.
“Just as the introduction of the Metro Mass Transport broke the monopoly of the Neoplan buses, the same thing can be done by individual transport owners,” Stephen Ablekpe, a Level 100 student of the university told the Daily Graphic.
So far, only three of such Urvan buses are in the business. According to Mr Abu Issa, one of the drivers, more transport owners would soon join the fray.
He described the business as very lucrative, since he was able to break even with his daily sales.
“I use four gallons of petrol a day which amounts to about GH¢22, yet at the end of the day, my sales range between GH¢40 and GH¢50,” Mr Issa stated.
The establishment of the Wa Campus of the UDS is now being described as a blessing. Within a period of about five years, the infrastructural development in Wa Municipality can be described as encouraging.
With the support of the government, the quiet and relatively peaceful town of Wa would be emerging as one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the country.
Currently, a lot of people have invested in the building of hostels. But for their gesture, students would have found nowhere to lay their head. The speed at which some of those hostels are being constructed is phenomenal. Uncompleted houses have all of a sudden become beautiful edifices.
On average, a single room accommodates four students with each of them paying between GH¢150 and GH¢200 depending on the location and proximity to the scattered campuses.
Consequently, many rich people have emerged. One landlord who pleaded anonymity, said but for the coming of the students into the system, especially those in their first year, he never thought he could have continued work on his building, the construction of which had stalled for numerous reasons.
To all intents and purposes, the establishment of the Wa Campus of the UDS is contributing immensely to the urbanisation of Wa.
There is, therefore, the need to put in place measures to avert the attendant problems of urbanisation in this historic town.