Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Public Transport...and the last minute people!

I arrived at the bus terminus today at 6:00am and got a matatu to Awasi at 7:10am.
It left the stage at 7:20am.


Now...here's the story.
There are new traffic rules that have to be followed by the public transport officials save for the traffic policemen and women.

Note: I said, some are above the new traffic laws.
I say so- because I was aboard a vehicle that had all the right documents, and we were wearing seat belts- and everyone was seated including the conductor, but this policeman just had to get money from the tout. He asked the driver to pull over, then singled out the tout by first asking him why he was not in full uniform. He then took him by the hand and they walked towards a lorry that was parked. I found this insulting to a system that is supposed to ensure road safety. I didn't know about the bribe, until later on as we were approaching Ahero junction when the conductor told the driver they can carry excess passengers because they will have to make enough money to give the "ever hungry" traffic police.

I woke up knowing that there would be fewer vehicles on the road -because most of them failed to meet the standards and this is partly because the matatu owners and associations took their time in attaining the necessary documents and clearance, so they are the last minute people.
This resulted in the inconvenience that I faced today.

But...let me tell you how my day went. I had to get on a picky picky from Ngere-Kagoro (some meters before Awasi) to Nyakoko primary and it took me a while to get there, but somewhere along the way I took this:
Isn't it lovely?

The sky...

Okay, so after engaging in a fruitful discussion with the head teacher, I made my way back to Masogo on foot, then took a picky picky that led me all the way to Ahero because there were no vehicles plying the Muhoroni -Ahero route.

When I arrived at Ahero, I had to get into a tuk tuk :
I paid one hundred shillings to get to Kisumu- but what amused me most was that we were 5 people in the back seat. One man agreed to pay half price and sit in the boot- which I did find very tenacious of him.

Truth is...now as I down my second cup of coffee: I have had a wonderful day. I know it was tough, and compared to what I have seen on Discovery World's Don't Drive Here , I would say- my day was rather unexpected but still worth appreciating.

I didn't know for example that 5 women could fit into the back seat of a tuk tuk. I do know however that 7 people (my wonderful cousins, December 2012) can fit into a tuk tuk!

So...I'm heading to another school tomorrow evening and we'll see how well that will go, but so far, all is well...I am reading Confinement by Katharine McMahon
 

--
How can one change the world if one identifies oneself with everybody?

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