Nyameyiekrom is just 20 minutes long, driving from Takoradi, the oil city of Ghana. It
takes about five minutes to drive from there to Agona Nkwanta, an
important town near Takoradi linking the southern and northern parts of
the Western Region. Nyameyiekrom translates God is good town.
Most
residents of Nyameyekrom have never boarded a decent taxi to the
village in their lives. With their laterite surface road, no driver,
riding a decent taxi is ready to ply the road. The taxis that ply the
Takoradi to Nyameyiekrom route also overload the passengers. When a taxi
departs from the Norpalm Ghana Junction to the village, it is difficult
to get passengers from the village back on the return journey to the
loading station. Hence drivers overload to cover the cost of a return
journey with no passengers.
A regular taxi
takes up to four passengers but on the Nyameyiekrom route, the story is
different. If a taxi carries a maximum of four passengers then the
passengers will have to agree to pay GH¢2.00 each. If the taxi carries
the usual six passengers, then each passenger will have to pay the
regular fare Gp70. This was before the fuel price increases two weeks
ago. The situation is murkier now.
Ghanatransport.com
has learnt that this has been the situation for a long time and
Nyameyiekrom residents seem to have accepted their fate. So if and when
you decide to travel to Nyameyiekrom, remember you will pay more if you
complain that the taxi is full.
And if the amount is no big deal to you, you will sit in a taxi not very different from the ones shown on this page. Nyameyiekrom is important to Norpalm, the palm oil producing company and Norpalm is important to Nyameyiekrom. For many readers however, the palm oil used in our foods at home or from food manufacturing plants could come from Nyameyiekrom but we may not know. Even though you may not hail from there nor be a resident, you can never tell what will link you to Nyameyiekrom.
Ekow Aidoo
paanyan7@gmail.com
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