Negotiating LPG in Urban Transportation: Taxi Drivers Stepping on the Gas in Accra and Bobo-Dioulasso
Urban transportation in African cities has often been described as “informal” or “unorganized”. Yet, beneath this apparent disorder lies a remarkable capacity for adaptation, as local actors develop inventive solutions to meet the evolving mobility needs of growing urban populations.
As in other West African cities, a surprising practice has emerged over the past decades in Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso) and Accra (Ghana): the use of domestic liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as fuel for taxis. Originally intended for household purposes, primarily cooking, LPG has increasingly been diverted to power vehicles; a development driven by the ingenuity of mechanics and drivers searching for more affordable alternatives amid soaring fuel prices.
While the foundations of this research were laid during our respective PhD fieldwork in Bobo-Dioulasso (2017–2022), the MIASA tandem fellowship in the second half of 2023 allowed us to deepen our investigation, extending it to both Bobo-Dioulasso and Accra. We explored the evolution of this practice, the responses of public authorities, and the complex negotiations between transport actors: their users and urban policies. Our central argument is that the use of LPG in taxis is not merely a technical or economic issue, but one that reveals broader decision-making processes and power relations between objects, people and institutions.
Shared Trajectories, Diverging Frameworks
In Ghana, the use of LPG in vehicles took off in the 1990s, encouraged by national policies aiming to reduce dependence on wood energy. Subsidies, free cylinder distribution, and the construction of filling stations supported this transition. Over time, taxi drivers began converting their vehicles, attracted by the significantly lower cost of LPG compared to petrol. The legal framework remains ambiguous: no law explicitly authorises or prohibits the use of LPG for transportation. In fact, the practice has expanded beyond the taxi sector, with private vehicle owners also converting their cars.

In Burkina Faso, particularly in Bobo-Dioulasso, the situation is more complex. Although LPG has been subsidised under environmental policies, its use as vehicle fuel is officially prohibited due to safety concerns surrounding often artisanal and unregulated installations. Despite this ban, around 85% of taxis in Bobo-Dioulasso reportedly run on LPG – a striking illustration of economic pressure and the drivers’ resilience in navigating restrictive frameworks.
Economic Constraints and Everyday Negotiations
This choice of energy reflects deep economic survival strategies. Faced with increasing hardship, including rising living costs, a shrinking international clientele, and competition from other transport modes, many taxi drivers see LPG as the only viable way to stay in business while offering affordable fares to a financially struggling local population.

As a result, drivers in both cities must constantly negotiate with state authorities, particularly police officers who exploit legal grey areas or outright prohibitions to extract bribes during inspections. In response, drivers have developed avoidance strategies: detouring around checkpoints, using mobile phones to relay information about police presence and forging informal alliances.
Contrasting State Responses
In Ghana, despite occasional LPG shortages as a result of rising demand, the government has never banned the practice. Instead, authorities have considered technical and fiscal adjustments to regulate the sector better. In a way, taxis have succeeded in asserting their presence and ingenuity, compelling the state to accommodate a situation born from grassroots innovation. However, with the end of subsidies and the introduction of new taxes, drivers are gradually losing the economic advantages that made LPG so appealing.
In contrast, the debate in Burkina Faso remains more sensitive, balancing safety concerns, public finances, and everyday economic necessities. Paradoxically, the persistence of the official ban creates financial opportunities not only for taxi drivers and users, but also for local actors, including police officers and gas sellers.
Uncertain Roads Ahead
The situation merits further close attention, especially given the volatile political and economic climate in West Africa and beyond. What challenges will transport actors face as both petrol and LPG prices continue to rise? At a regional level, how might ongoing concerns, from climate change to security crises, reshape the mobility strategies of urban populations and transport workers?
Delving deeper into these questions uncovers taxis as more than just a transport mode; it reveals them as strategic entry points for analysing the dynamics of urban mobility and governance, innovation, and the ways in which city dwellers navigate, contest, and shape their urban environments.

The use of gas by multiple actors in both cities reflects the presence of layered conflicts and distinct governance cultures. It also invites reflection on the precarious yet pivotal role of these urban mobility actors, who actively engage in shaping more liveable and, indirectly, more sustainable cities.
How to cite:
Houd Kanazoé, Edith Nabos. 2025. Negotiating LPG in Urban Transportation: Taxi Drivers Stepping on the Gas in Accra and Bobo-Dioulasso, Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa – Blog, online: https://ugspace.ug.edu.gh/handle/123456789/41814.
OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
kanazoe (September 29, 2025). Negotiating LPG in Urban Transportation: Taxi Drivers Stepping on the Gas in Accra and Bobo-Dioulasso. Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa - Blog. Retrieved December 9, 2025 from https://miasa.hypotheses.org/5156



