The importance of a vibrant transportation system to the development of any nation cannot be overemphasized. It is no wonder that the number of vehicles on our roads have escalated in the last five years; causing stakeholders to implement road expansion projects which have not yet adequately catered for the unwinding traffic situation in the country. This has culminated in an unbearable vehicular traffic situation especially in the capital, and it is because of such unbearable traffic and other factors that the Trotro, a local term for commercial vehicles, has become a preferred route for many; including some private car owners who resort to troros for faster commuting through the capital city. Trotro drivers can be credited with one thing; indiscriminate navigation of short, often bumpy short cuts. They say experience is the best teacher! My afternoon date with a Trotro is an experience worth sharing with you. In a bid to avoid wading through miles of traffic behind a wheel, I decided to leave the driving part to a Trotro diver; a qualified one for that matter. After some few minutes of impromptu skin tanning which left me almost soaked in sweat, I was relieved to see a sea blue Benz Buss approach with the conductor screaming out my destination. I immediately flagged the vehicle in all earnest and after a smooth hop onto the vehicle, began to tread an observational sojourn. I was ‘privileged’ enough to land a window seat and all was well until I heard a sudden screech! The driver immediately hopped out, and down his conductor went; as if to say-I salute you sir! They both lay beneath the vehicle for some minutes which felt like days in a traditional ‘foonoo’ (mud oven). As if the conductor had a mind reading ability, he ascended from beneath, and coyly blurted out in Ga; ‘tsone le efite’ (the vehicle is out of order). If looks could kill, I bet this particular conductor would have bid farewell to his profession that minute and welcomed a dance with his ancestors in the land of the unknown! Unknown to us, the real test was yet to unfold. After some heated exchanges over the right proportions of our fares to be refunded, we alighted in the middle of a busy road and headed for destination unknown to look for another vehicle. After some minutes, a green rounded vehicle which looked more uneasy than many of us in the scorching sun approached. One fascinating feature about this vehicle was the inscription pasted boldly on the windscreen-‘Enka ho da’, literally meaning Temporary. I wondered what was temporary about my next ride…Well; my answer was only seconds away. The vehicle was full to capacity with only a space to spare but with a speed Usain Bolt would envy, I was the chosen one on that middle seat! Without a support for my back, clinching firmly unto the window was the most logical way to stay glued to my seat. As traffic became dense, the ‘navigation expert’ veered onto an untarred road which gave a fore glimpse of the ‘smooth’ ride ahead. At this point, the vehicle shook as violently as an earthquake whiles my seat begun a rocking motion which compounded my existing discomfort. As I was getting used to my mobile merry go round, a woman from behind yelled at the conductor, demanding to make an emergency exit. The driver came to an abrupt halt, jostling my intestines and unsettling my adrenaline in a second! As expected, I had to hop out again, this time doing so cautiously to avoid the rusted vehicle from causing further harm. One striking feature of this vehicle was the very little leg space and limited room for standing if not bending. The distance between the roof and the head of seated passengers was only a stretch away. Bending on your way into and off the bus was the norm. The woman who had a baby strapped to her back unfortunately bumped her head against the vehicle before alighting and one could not help but wonder how many bumps her body and for that matter her head can take. Not to talk of the effect of constant bending and the weight of her child would have on her spine. Well, that might be an isolated case; I said to myself! But it was only a matter of time before I realized what a culmination of stress, cramped space; frequent movement, bends, torture from the scorching sun, limited leg room, and exhaust fumes could do to a person aboard a Trotro. I am certain, this narrative is not far off from what many Ghanaians experience on a daily basis in their bid to make ends meet. As much as it is a fantastic idea to work for a living, jeopardizing your health for a living is certainly unacceptable. A concerted effort is required to sanitize the transport system and ensure that the health of passengers is not compromised in any means. The nervous system which is housed in the spine can be described as the master worker of the body; it facilitates the brain’s signals to other organs of the body. If the brain would be able to effectively communicate with other organs of the body, a hundred percent functioning of the nervous system is vital. However, due to factors like poor posture, pollution, poor lifting and bending habits and the like, the flow of the nervous system is obstructed. The result of this obstruction is a host of symptoms which often prove deadly and undermines health. This subtle obstruction can neither be felt nor seen with the untrained eye and as such, it is essential for every Ghanaian to have their spines checked by a trained chiropractor to eliminate nerve interferences which would adversely affect their health and wellbeing. Globally, chiropractic care has proven to be the largest and most successful alternative healthcare; in Ghana, many testimonies abound about the impact of chiropractic on individuals and families. Applied knowledge is power, thus there is need for all Ghanaians to take charge of their health on a daily basis. Regulators in the transport industry should monitor the condition of commercial vehicles whiles passengers demand better services by patronizing only vehicles which would enable free movement without compromising their posture in any way (the posture is the window to the spine). By: Henrietta Aba Lartey The Chiropractic and Wellness Centres Email: henritalartey@yahoo.com