Public means of transport is the commonly used mode of transport in Kenya since not everyone can afford a car. (Matatus are small vans 14seater). Aboard such a vehicle you will experience all sort of madness before reaching your destination. First there will be unbearable noise that makes your head throb, the loud noise makes one not able to communicate on mobile or even hard to talk to the person seated next to you, this too makes you to sometime miss out the stage that you are meant to alight since the matatus have tinted windows and at the same time the conductor can’t hear you.
Secondly the crazy matatu conductors. They charge fare the way they feel. They hike fare without notice depending on the weather and the traffic jam. For instance they double or triple fare just because there is an accident ahead or it’s about to rain. This really affect your budget as a common man who to earn an extra coin is a problem and hard to come by. You have to compromise your budget just to pay the fare hence go hungry the next day or even that evening since you don’t have extra money.
The matatu drivers are the peak of matatu craziness. They drive like crazy scaring all the other motorists on the road. Always over speeding, skidding, driving on the pavements, hooting carelessly for the other motorists to give him way with force since he is always in an undefined rush.
Matatu craziness has really led to so many lives being lost because most accidents involve public vehicles. Basically passengers are supposed to seat three per row so that everyone has a safety belt on but instead the driver and conductor pack passengers four per row like maize sacks hence nobody is able to belt up.
We pray that one day a miracle will happen so that we are able to solve the matatu menace
Bye, Evelyn
