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Thijs Bouwknegt on a taxi moto
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Kigali, Rwanda
Kigali, Rwanda

Blog Rwanda: Moto Taxis

Published on : 18 December 2009 - 4:19pm | By Sebastiaan Gottlieb
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Our reporters Thijs Bouwknegt and Sebastiaan Gottlieb are at present in Rwanda for series of reports. They share with us here their first impressions of the country.

 

Why don't we have moto taxi's in Europe? They seem to be the perfect transport in crowded cities. Cheap quick en efficient. In Rwanda's capital Kigali moto taxi's are everywhere. Wherever you are at what time of the day there is always one, or two or three within a few minutes. The drivers are young boys all wearing green jackets that shows they are officially licensed. Every taxi moto driver has an extra helmet for the passenger that you are obliged to put on.

 

This is a bit a downside off these wonderful taxi moto's. The idea that everyone wears the same helmet makes your head itch. And off course after you take the helmet off you suffer from bad hair the rest off the day. In Kigali you could do without helmets because the moto taxi are really careful drivers. We only had a near accident once with the hundreds of taxi moto's we used. But off course a helmet is more safe for sure.

 

Maybe we can suggest president Paul Kagama to introduce hair nets for passengers of taxi moto's. It would also be nice if he provides new visors for the helmets because in most cases the are so worn and damaged that you hardly can see through. But even with bad visors and dirty helmets the taxi moto's are a perfect way of transport. Without them I feel the western countries are severely underdeveloped. 
 

  • Sebastiaan Gottlieb
    Sebastiaan Gottlieb
  • Sebastiaan Gottlieb
    Sebastiaan Gottlieb
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