You don’t own a means of transport in Ghana? Then you have no option but to trek or use public transport, the bus or taxi. That’s all; the train I see in Ghana, especially in Accra, is mostly occupied by traders. It was only recently I saw one popular Ghanaian TV/radio presenter cum musician Jon Germain use the Accra train and the station but fortunately or unfortunately it was in his music video. Yet still, I saw him a train that’s the fact. The Ghanaian taxi stands in its own private world of Ghana. Mostly it’s the above average Ghanaian’s WHO USE THE SERVICES OF THE TAXI. As they won’t feel comfortable to take the public bus especially within Accra. They only take public transport when traveling long distances. Taxi, taizi, tazi are the various ways senior citizens especially pronounce TAXI. The young folks say taxi, cab or cabbie. On a ratio of males to females, females have a greater percentage in picking a taxi, one reason being the prestige it confers on them. Regular picking of taxi’s In Ghana means comfort in life. But most males don’t find anything wrong with picking public transport within Accra. But that doesn’t dispute the fact that a greater percentage of males also pick taxis.
In Ghana to be a taxi driver entails being a good bargainer & basic psychology. As you stand by a roadside to pick a taxi you will be looking for a taxi to convey you to your destination but that’s Ghanaian so wrong. Most Ghanaians like to take good looking taxi’s, we call it posh and the ones which look old have names such as “Alatsa, rogbojo or milo tsinse ” It’s a common site for someone to be standing by the roadside looking for a taxi and will wait till a good looking one comes by. We do this to prevent people at the destination you off to from raising their eyebrows and asking where and why you took such “Alatsa” taxi. You only take a bad looking taxi when you desperately need to get somewhere and you have no choice. Or you happen to be taking a public taxi. This is when other passengers join the taxi you have a board and you all pay lesser amounts which sum up to make the real fare of the destination.
As a passenger is looking out for the appearance of the taxi, the taxi drivers also have a lot they look out for in a passenger. A typical Ghanaian taxi driver looks at or reads your personality before charging the fare. Fortunately or unfortunately they easily can differentiate between the rich, average and poor folks. If you looking good trust me it’s an advantage to the driver because he thinks you have a lot of finances. He will, therefore, inflate the fare, most rich folks feel shy bargaining so they just get their backsides into the seats and off they go with the driver. But looks only doesn’t make the taxi drivers know your social class, they look out to how you speak, you know rich folks in Ghana always speak either the English or American accented English and even when speaking the local languages they try applying those accents to it. With this fact proved, the taxi driver knows where you fall into (i.e. social class). One thing to do to show you super rich in taking a taxi is to get into the taxi without even asking of the fare or telling the driver where you are heading to, you only tell him after he has driven off and you should seat at the back never in front. This just informs the driver that you have enough so you should get going. Some drivers get into a conversation with you to really know where you fall in the social ladder.
You are going to get shocked that the fare charged when you put on expensive clothes and perfume and pick a taxi and do all the moves I have mentioned that rich folks do to a destination is cheaper when you put on less expensive clothes for the same destination from the same place. This comes about because you portrayed a rich identity the first time and poor folk the second time around. When you stop a taxi and tell him where you off to and ask of the fare, the driver gets to know you know the normal fare so he won’t try inflating the fare that much but a little because they know you will bargain. For the poor folks, drivers charge averagely especially on a day that market hasn’t favored them. And they can’t imagine losing a little amount of money. Some taxi drivers make sure not to be in certain neighborhoods because it’s known for the below average Ghanaian and they normally don’t use the services of the taxi. Some taxi drivers always make sure they spend all day driving through the rich folks neighborhoods since they use taxi’s often which means more money because they can also inflate the fares. Some spend their time parked by luxurious restaurants, hotel, pubs and nightclubs to attract rich folks because they hang out at such places. The old looking taxi’s tend to do business around market places and average Ghanaian neighborhoods.
A taxi driver who had a bad day in reference to daily income will accept the most moderate fare; he just can’t afford to go home with empty hands. Most of the taxies doesn’t belong to the drivers they usually have what we call car owners who they make sales for. That’s the Ghanaian way of saying it, making sales means paying the car owner daily an amount of money for using his/her car. You therefore at least must make your sales for the day.
Next time you are stopping a taxi; know their moves and play the game with them it takes two to tango remember.
