I normally choose to do long distance road travels ie: Accra-Kumasi, Sunyani-Accra at night. I use what is called the ''sleeper'', that is we start the journey around 10pm and get to our destinations at dawn around 3:30am. So you can sleep a bit, then re freshen up for your duties or ''ronnings'' in the morning. Yeah, so basically that's how i normally do my long distance road journeys. Well last Thursady was no different, i was in Accra on Thursday dawn, did my usual ''ronnings'' that same morning, and was bound to be in Sunyani Friday morning for an important meeting. So i was done with all my ''ronnings'' by 6:30pm and had to head for the Neoplan station in Kwame Nkrumah circle to board a ''sleeper'' to Sunyani for my appointment on Friday morning. so after all the usual heavy traffic in Accra central, i finally get to the Neoplan Station at exactly 8:30pm, i started shivering, because i know the buses normally start their journeys at 8:00pm, and here i was, 30 go minutes late I finally get to where the buses park, and the bus bound for Sunyani is packed with passengers, so i asked the bus conductor, "Massa is the bus full"??? He replies saying, "boss, one space more left, its GHc13!!" so i ask him, ''where is it''? he's says here...right to the door where the bus conductors normally sit, if there's one on the bus. At first my heart skipped a beat, but i had no other option. Well i don't really know how to describe my seating position to you, but i know the readers out there who board these buses (ADB, Stanbic and Yutong) know exactly what in talking about. so i get in my seat, strap on my seat belt and whisper a prayer to my maker. By 8:55pm our night journey to Sunyani had began. Well since i was not so comfortable at where i was seated, i tried not to dose off, but as hard as i tried i just couldn't help to take a nap, but i was quickly awoken as i was moved forward because the driver apparently jammed the brakes and swerved to the left of the road to avoid hitting a taxi that crossed as, and i could hear that squeaking and hissing sound of the bus' air brakes plus the numerous insults that followed. Well just then, i said to myself, what if buses had anti-lock brakes, just as cars do, and even drum brakes will do. I don't really know how the ''air brakes'' work, but after googling it out, i had a slight idea of how it works, so i have decided to share that here http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/brakes/brake-types/air-brake.htm . After feeding my brains with knowledge on how this works i asked myself that same question, can't these car manufacturers develop a new and more advanced braking system for buses and trucks?? All these ABS/EBS found on cars, can't they develop the same technology on buses and trucks?? I think i they did, it will help to save a lot more lives on our roads, i dare say that these buses and trucks are the No.1 causes of accidents on our roads, especially at night, even though what prompted me to write this wasn't the fault on our bus driver, but along the journey, i saw bus and truck drivers dosing off, others too driving reckless and so on, if they get an ABS/EBS i think it will help them stop much more quicker and save lives too. Anyways if anyone knows of such technology in buses and trucks, please let know ook.


Written and Edited by: Yaw Baah-Nuakoh™

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