August 8, 2005
In the back of a 'blue donkey' line-cab - My favourite place in Ethiopia #3
They are not particularly comfortable. The typical seating arrangement is 12 people crammed into a space a bit larger than the back of an average Land Rover – six squeezed in on a barely-padded bench on either side with knees almost touching in the middle. When you get out, you have to bend over to half your height and apologise along the way to everyone you accidentally elbow in the face (at least that is how I do it).
They are also not particularly safe. I have often wondered what would happen if one of these packed vehicles took a corner at more than 20 miles an hour. You don't want to think what would happen if they met an 'Al-Qaida' Isuzu truck coming head on the other way. The words "crushed", "sardine" and "can" come to mind.
But the great thing about Addis Ababa's line-cabs – also called blue donkeys – is their sheer efficiency. There are thousands of them trundling through the capital, all crossing and re-crossing it in a complex grid. Once you have worked out where they are going, you can get practically anywhere in Addis Ababa for a handful of coins.
A trip from our house in the Bole Tele area to the centre of town costs one birr (6 UK pence or 11 US cents - if you are a ferengi, a normal taxi driver will try to charge you anything up to 20 birr for the same trip). A trip all the way to the Mercato is just Birr 1.60. It is not over-statement to say that once you have mastered the line-cabs and their ways you have pretty much mastered Addis Ababa.
There are many other things to enjoy about driving around in the back of a blue donkey.
There is the solidarity of the passengers. Everyone grumbles together when the cab lingers too long at a stop for just one more fare. Children are picked up and passed down the cab and people are always willing to point out a stop to a puzzled foreigner. Someone once told me that on one trip, the conductor tried to over-charge her (an unheard-of event). But the game was up when the other passengers noticed and complained loudly on her behalf.
There is also the fascinating economy that has grown up around the line-cab trade. Because of the low fares, conductors always need lots of change. And the best people to supply them with it are the crowds of beggars and street children who spend their days collecting five and ten cent coins from passersby. At the busier inter-sections you often see a child walk up with a roll of coins and exchange it for a one birr note - walking away with a five cent profit.
Finally, there is also the frequency. If you miss one, there are always three queuing up behind it.
When it comes to running a low-cost, efficient public transport network, Addis Ababa has a lot to teach the "developed" world.
Posted by aheavens at August 8, 2005 7:14 AM
Comments
I hear abut those cabs now and it’s such a contrast from what I remember. When I left Ethiopia as a little girl in the eighties, these public cabs were just coming to be and not the phenomenon I here about now. Before that, we exclusively took the small taxies which I hear are now being used for 'one day rental' or something like that. I really need to go back! After so many years, it's not so easy. I love your page and also the one at Flickr. :)
Posted by: Abby at August 8, 2005 7:57 PM
You’re right. It is very convenient to travel any where in Addis.
What I love the most about it is how everyone supports each other.
A few times that I have been on those cabs, I happen to witness the exchange of coins between the street kids and the conductors. The first time when I saw this, the cab was already rolling to take off. And I saw the kid running by the window with a roll of coins on his hand. I wasn’t sure how much he gave the conductor and got in return but it was amazing to see how they work together and trust each other. It’s beautiful!
Posted by: abyssinia at August 9, 2005 12:16 AM
Well, it might be quick and convenient most of the time, but try getting from TorHayloch to anywhere along the Mexico-Stadium-22 route between 7am and 9:30am (vice versa after 5pm)-IMPOSSIBLE! Or you pay the whole fare to Megenagna even if it's only to Mexico square- opportunistic cutthroats in my oppinion.
Posted by: Dina at August 9, 2005 9:53 AM
Addis Ababa has one of the most efficient and affordable public transportation systems I have ever come across in any part of the world. Both the Public Bus system and the Private Taxi system can get you to any corner of the metropolis rather inexpensively. In addition, the camaraderie amongst the passengers and the whole ambience is something to show for. Great article.
Posted by: Yosias T. at August 10, 2005 11:18 AM
I thought the taxis were called wuyiyit (meeting) rather than blue donkey ..
Posted by: mmm at August 11, 2005 12:37 AM
Good to know somethings work in Ethiopia too!
Posted by: thomas at November 2, 2005 10:51 AM
well, what is more amaging if you would have seen some of the street kids count the coins. They do not look, they just know how much it is by weighing it on their hand.
Posted by: sam at March 29, 2008 4:48 AM