the negotiator
From Accra to Damascus by Uber
A
t the time of writing, yours truly
has just returned from Accra, the capital of Ghana, that beautiful West African country. Mrs Nyack and I had been invited by a Ghanaian friend to take a short holiday there. While there, we travelled extensively across Accra city and got a reasonable view of how traffic worked.
so as to buy a vehicle of his own. He hopes to achieve this in a few weeks. Looking at his situation it is similar, I expect, to all Uber and other drivers, whether they work in London, Accra, New Delhi or New York. They are the ones who create the wealth for the owners of the apps, the owners of the vehicles, the insurance companies and others that feed off the drivers in this technological ecosystem.
UBER IN ACCRA Accra is a large city, possibly greater in area than Dennot Nyack London but with a much smaller population. There SUPPORTING SADIQ – STOPPING POLLUTION are several ways of getting about the city: by foot, car, The union view minibus (tro-tro) or by taxi/minicab. Uber operates I am a child of the sixties. Not the flower-power part from our GMB there, so we were able to use minicabs, and it was but the early sixties. This was the period when Britain representative fascinating to see how it worked there. finally emerged from the Second World War. At the time The taxis and minicabs in Accra are tiny and would anyone talking about air pollution would not be tagged fail TfL’s size limits, while the majority have no air-conditioning. a “raging leftie” as the term had not yet been invented, but they However, the drivers are extremely skilled in navigating the traffic of would have been considered odd. Accra and getting us from A to B. How else could you heat your house or flat, people would ask, other Kojo, the driver we hired for a few days, lives just outside of than burning coal and releasing the smoke into the atmosphere? Greater Accra and is married with three children at school. A highWhere would factories put their waste gases? Why didn’t Norway school graduate with a professional qualification, he previously and Sweden mind their own business? We can’t help it if our smoke worked in a restaurant. He became an Uber driver because of the drifted over to their countries. That was nature and not our fault. flexibility it provided, enabling him to take the kids to and from All of the above, coupled with petrol and diesel emissions from school and give help to a disabled relative. lorries and buses, led to the Great Smog. London Transport, as it He rents his car for which he pays about four days earnings. Kojo then was, had just stopped using electric trolley buses and trams had has to pay for his fuel and insurance. Servicing and repairs are long gone. It was awful, but had been tolerated until then. Following meant to be undertaken by the hirer, but Kojo says the person “flaffs the deaths caused by this pollution, changes were introduced which around” (my word) so much that he can lose several days earnings. reduced its effect. Instead, he undertakes the servicing himself. Several decades later Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, has sought The roads in Accra and Ghana consist of two-lane roads to eliminate the internal combustion engine from London. I was interspersed with some stretches of motorway. The quality of these opposed to the speed at which he sought to do this because of the highways is generally good, but with some seriously bad stretches. financial impact on the drivers. However, there are ongoing repairs, renewals and new-builds taking However, my journeys into Accra city centre became my road place. If you are frustrated by the daily traffic jams on the approach to Damascus, and I have undertaken a complete one-eighty. I to Bristol city centre from the M32, have sympathy for Kojo. The would urge everyone to support the move away from the internal Accra traffic jams are a sight to behold with tro-tros, cars, motorbike combustion engine. trikes, tuk-tuks, 7-axle juggernauts and Kojo vying for space. Ghana is a beautiful country with a wonderful, friendly and A typical trip to the centre of Accra would involve an almost generous people. It boasts lush countryside, pristine forests, the continuous traffic crawl lasting more than two hours. The windows largest artificial lake in the world and some of the best beaches would have to be open otherwise we would roast in the car. At each known to humanity. Nevertheless, the pollution in Accra is awful. We junction we would be approached by vendors selling almost anything. both suffered from stinging eyes and sore throats the morning of our from a range of hot and cold food, to bootlaces, books and groceries. first trip into town. What must be the health effects on the people of Accra? “Listen”, Kojo told us, “If you want I am almost certain that you can If any person still opposes the need for clean air and removal of buy a fridge or a set of furniture”. the internal combustion engine from our environment they should How does Uber work in Accra? Very similar – but different. All take a trip to Accra and spend a few days commuting across the city. drivers must have a smartphone. The jobs are allocated to the Sadiq, keep up the good work. nearest driver to the pickup and, unlike London these days, the fares —Dennot Nyack are calculated on a base fare and time & distance basis. Where it is different is that payment is made to the driver by either cash or ‘mobile money’. The majority of the population holds money n D ennot is a AGM trade union member and was a former accounts on their phones (mobile money) and pay for goods and representative of the GMB’s professional drivers. He is also an services by transfer to the provider’s phone. author and broadcaster with a strong knowledge of the private At the end of each week, Uber sends a statement to the driver hire industry and an equality and diversity specialist. who then pays Uber its share. Failure to pay results in the driver’s email: dennotnyack@yahoo.com account being suspended. Kojo told us he works seven days a week mobile: +44 0740 625 276
38
MARCH 2022
