Researchers at the the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana have developed a Mobile App which can give detailed route guidance and location identity for travel planning in Twi and English. It also has a Twi travel dictionary, local business database, cultural and social information and uses known local place names to provide location information based on data collected for the Oforikrom Municipality.The innovation is a result of interdisciplinary research collaboration from faculties from Humanities and social science, Sciences and Engineering. The mobile App was launched February 24, 2022 under the auspices of the Africa Centre of Excellence – Regional Transport Research and Education Centre Kumasi (TRECK).
Speaking at the launch of the myTroski App in Kumasi, the Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ellis Owusu Dabo, whose speech was read by Prof. Charles Marfo, Provost of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, underscored that myTroski would benefit businesses, schools, public transport users, security services, fire service, municipal revenue collection, national disaster management organization, Ghana Police service, and the Municipal authority. Present at the launch were representatives of the Oforikrom Municipal Assembly, Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Progressive Transport Owners' Association (PROTOA), National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Bolt, Ghana Fire Service, Ghana Police Service, KNUST Security services, the Chief of Boadi, among others.
The developers of the innovation are Dr. Gift Dumedah, Prof. Charles Marfo, and Dr. Samuel Ato Andam-Akorful. In his introductory remarks, Prof. Charles Adams, Centre Leader for TRECK expressed joy that the interdisciplinary applied research of the Centre is yielding dividends and expressed hope that myTrosky mobile App 1.0 is the first version and would go through constant development and improvement and scaled to other Municipalities. He hinted that myTroski would become a spinoff business of TRECK to extend the project to other municipalities in Ashanti region and Accra Metropolitan Area.
He called on stakeholders and partners to provide support through the downloading and use of the App. The stakeholders were awed with the innovation and reiterated the benefits it will bring to their work. myTroski version 1.0 is downloadable from the website, https://mytroski-gh.com or directly at Google play store. myTroski is at its initial stage and is available for only Android phones, and it is yet to be made available on Apple devices.
