- One thing is for sure, it is cheaper to travel by public means as compared to a personal car. However, this costs you time, comfort and peace of mind, and I believe many of us agree with this.
Most of us have had really bad experiences with public transport, and I can confidently say that I speak for so many when I give these experiences.
One thing is for sure, it is cheaper to travel by public means as compared to a personal car. However, this costs you time, comfort and peace of mind, and I believe many of us agree with this.
In most developed countries, public means like trains save you time because they have specific schedules that are adhered to.
Matatus, the most common means of transport in Kenya, however, has more cons than pros, especially now. First, most of them are not legally supposed to be on roads because of how mechanically damaged they are.
I have witnessed them break down in the middle of a journey, many have uncontrollable problems to the point where they cause road accidents. This is evident in most reported road accident cases.
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Secondly, greed rules in these streets. I have shared my seat countless times with another person, not because I wanted to, but because I didn’t have a choice. You pay for services you don’t get.
It has been normalized to the point where the drivers casually say, “The three seats need to be shared among four people”, without question. It gets worse, I once saw a driver share his seat with a passenger. When did the rain start beating us?
Thirdly, I disagree with the 'Sambaza' system. For those who are lucky enough not to know what this is, it is a system that involves placing a piece of wood in between seats to create extra space for people in a matatu.
The car gets to carry more than the capacity of passengers it is supposed to, which is wrong in all areas, but no action is taken, and we suffer in silence. The authorities do nothing about it, and sadly, it has become normal with time.
Last but not least, the constant harassment of mothers traveling with children. From what I have stated above, you have a picture of how packed a matatu is on a normal basis.
Now, picture a mother with two kids, one cradled and another who just learned how to walk. Most Matatu operators are merciless in this situation; a mother is forced to carry all of them and still create space for other passengers or beg other passengers to carry one of them.
I say this with a broken heart, yet hopeful that one day, the government will take serious action against these acts of lawlessness and inhumanity.
