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Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
matatu or matatus (known as mathree in Sheng) are privately owned minibuses used as
share taxi Share may refer to: * Share, to make joint use of a resource (such as food, money, or space); see Sharing * Share (finance), a stock or other financial security (such as a mutual fund) * Share, Kwara, a town and LGA in Kwara State, Nigeria Share m ...
s. Often decorated, many ''matatu'' feature portraits of famous people or
slogan A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a clan, political slogan, political, Advertising slogan, commercial, religious, and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the publi ...
s and
saying A saying is any concisely written or spoken expression that is especially memorable because of its meaning or style. Sayings are categorized as follows: * Aphorism: a general, observational truth; "a pithy expression of wisdom or truth". ** Adage ...
s. Likewise, the music they play is also aimed at quickly attracting riders. Over 70% of commuter trips are taken using matatu in cities like Nairobi. Although their origins can be traced back to the 1960s, ''matatu'' saw growth in Kenya in the 1980s and 1990s, and by the early 2000s the archetypal form was a (gaily decorated) Japanese
microvan A microvan is a van or minivan which is within the Japanese kei car classification or similar, and is smaller than a mini MPV. In China, these vehicles are nicknamed ''mian bao che'' ("bread-loaf vehicle") because of their shape.
. C. 2015, larger, bus-sized vehicles also started to be used as ''matatu''. The name may also be used in parts of Nigeria. In
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
, this industry is
regulated Regulation is the management of complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. In systems theory, these types of rules exist in various fields of biology and society, but the term has slightly different meanings according to context. Fo ...
,In Nairobi, Kenya puts brakes on its runaway success
csmonitor.com, June 28, 1999.
and such minibuses must, by law, be fitted with
seatbelts A seat belt (also known as a safety belt, or spelled seatbelt) is a vehicle safety device designed to secure the driver or a passenger of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result during a collision or a sudden stop. A seat belt re ...
Kenya (p. 383).
Tom Parkinson, Max Phillips, Will Gourlay. Lonely Planet, 2006. 352 pp. 1740597435, 9781740597432.
and speed governors.Nairobi Today: the Paradox of a Fragmented City; Hidden $ Centz: Rolling the Wheels of Nairobi ''Matatu''. Mbugua wa-Mungai. (p. 371).
edited by Helene Charton-Bigot, Deyssi Rodriguez-Torres. African Books Collective, 2010. 404 pp. 9987080936, 9789987080939.
Present regulation may not be sufficient deterrent to prevent small infractionsNairobi Today: the Paradox of a Fragmented City; Hidden $ Centz: Rolling the Wheels of Nairobi ''Matatu''. Mbugua wa-Mungai (p. 367).
edited by Helene Charton-Bigot, Deyssi Rodriguez-Torres. African Books Collective, 2010. 404 pp. 9987080936, 9789987080939.
as even decoration may be prohibited. Kenya has one of the "most extensive regulatory controls to market entry",Kumar & Barrett, ''Stuck in Traffic'' (2008), p. 17.
and a ''matatu'' worker can be pulled from the streets simply for sporting too loud a shirt. They may ply set routes,Kenya (p. 382).
Tom Parkinson, Max Phillips, Will Gourlay. Lonely Planet, 2006. 352 pp. 1740597435, 9781740597432.
display this route,Nairobi Today: the Paradox of a Fragmented City; Hidden $ Centz: Rolling the Wheels of Nairobi ''Matatu''. Mbugua wa-Mungai (p. 367).
edited by Helene Charton-Bigot, Deyssi Rodriguez-Torres. African Books Collective, 2010. 404 pp. 9987080936, 9789987080939.
run from termini,Kenya (p. 383).
Tom Parkinson, Max Phillips, Will Gourlay. Lonely Planet, 2006. 352 pp. 1740597435, 9781740597432.
run both inter and intra-city, and may stop along said route to purchase or collect money from passengers. In addition to a driver, ''matatu'' may be staffed by a conductor, locally known as a ''makanga'' or ''manamba'' or ''donda''. As of 1999, they were the only form of public transport available in
Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
, Kenya, although in 2006 and 2008 this was no longer the case. Over the years, stiff competition is being experienced from bus-sharing applications such as SWVL.


Etymology

The name derives from a Swahili or
Kikuyu Kikuyu or Gikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) mostly refers to an ethnic group in Kenya or its associated language. It may also refer to: * Kikuyu people, a majority ethnic group in Kenya *Kikuyu language, the language of Kikuyu people *Kikuyu, Kenya, a town in Cent ...
colloquialism meaning "three".Thugs or Entrepreneurs? Perceptions of matatu Operators in Nairobi, 1970 to the Present. Kenda Mutongi. Africa: Journal of the International African Institute Vol. 76, No. 4 (2006), pp. 550 One explanation is that three 10 cent coins made up the typical 30 cent fare in the 1970s. There is no universally agreed opinion on an origin for the name, however, alternatively one news source suggests its origin lies in the
Kikuyu language Kikuyu or Gikuyu ( ki, Gĩkũyũ, link=no ) is a Bantu language spoken by the Gĩkũyũ (''Agĩkũyũ'') of Kenya. Kikuyu is mainly spoken in the area between Nyeri and Nairobi. The Kikuyu people usually identify their lands by the surroundin ...
,Otani, Robert. "Menace of Deadly Matatus to Be Curbed." African Business. IC Publications Ltd. 1999. HighBeam Research. 6 June 2015 specifically from the Kikuyu phrase 'mang’otore matatu' meaning 30 cents.


Public perception

At times in Kenya, the ''matatu'' has been associated with criminality or reckless driving. Writes one academic, "by the end of the 1990s, ''matatu'' operators were typically viewed... by Kenyans of all ranks as thugs who exploited and mistreated passengers and participated in gang or mafia-like violence." In the early 2000s, struggle over control of ''matatu'' routes by informal groups led to violence, and contemporary headlines highlight the fact that ''matatu'' were perceived as unsafe. These include a 2002 article titled "riding in Kenya's taxi vans is death-defying experience" and another from 1999 proclaiming that the "menace of deadly ''matatus'' sto be curbed." Mistreatment of passengers has also been reported and includes: "verbal and physical abuse, theft, hijacking, ...sexual harassment, beatings, and rape."


Kenyan regulation

''Matatu'' were explicitly deemed legal in 1973, but it was only in 1984 that even the most basic regulatory framework was constructed for ''matatu'', when licensing and inspections were mandated. Today, Kenya has been described as having extensive regulatory controls, and a ''matatu'' worker can be pulled from the streets simply for sporting too loud a shirt. Some basic safety equipment is required; these minibuses must be fitted with seat belts and
speed governor A governor, or speed limiter or controller, is a device used to measure and regulate the speed of a machine, such as an engine. A classic example is the centrifugal governor, also known as the Watt or fly-ball governor on a reciprocating ste ...
s.Kenya (page 383)
Tom Parkinson, Max Phillips, Will Gourlay. Lonely Planet, 2006. 352 pages. 1740597435, 9781740597432.
It's unclear, however, to what extent such laws are followed. Present regulation may not be a sufficient deterrent to prevent small infractions, as even decoration may be prohibited. Laws prohibiting flashy paint-jobs and eye-searing colors were removed in 2015, and as of 2016 ''matatu'' in Kenya are brightly decorated with some operators paying upwards of US$2,000 for custom, decorative paint. In the 1990s and the 2000s, informal groups emerged managing routes and requiring ''matatu'' drivers to pay fees.A City under Siege: Banditry & Modes of Accumulation in Nairobi, 1991–2004. Musambayi Katumanga. Review of African Political Economy Vol. 32, No. 106, Africa from SAPs to PRSP: Plus Ca Change Plus C'est la Meme Chose (Dec., 2005), pp. 505-520 At times, competition over control of routes precipitated violence. Today, an individual ''matatu'' must be associated with one of over 600 independent, government-registered groups known as a SACCOs. As of late 2010, Kenyan government policy is to phase out minibus ''matatu'' in the capital city Nairobi in favour of larger buses seating twenty five or more. Currently, no new ''matatu'' vehicles can operate in Nairobi, and the existing ones will be allowed to continue serving passengers until they become completely inoperable. It could take ten years or more to ease the congestion caused by more-popular smaller minibuses, however.


Environmental and health impacts

Matatu, which are most frequently diesel vehicles, are frequently idling in urban areas, creating additional air and noise pollution. In some areas, matatu drivers are actively discouraged from idling the vehicle while stopped, leading to fuel consumption and exhaust when the vehicle is not in motion. Some companies are exploring electric buses as a potential replacement for the high-emission vehicles.


In popular media

In the
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series ''
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'', Capheus, a main character who lives in Nairobi, drives the matatu ''Van Damn'', a tribute to Capheus' favorite action star,
Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (, ; born 18 October 1960), known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (, ), is a Belgian actor, martial artist, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, at the a ...
.


See also

*
Dala dala Dala dala are minibus share taxis in Tanzania.Thoughts On Dala Dala Buse ...
, Tanzania *
Tro tro In Ghana and neighboring countries, tro tro are privately owned minibus share taxis that travel fixed routes leaving when filled to capacity. While there are ''tro tro'' stations, these vehicles for hire can also be boarded anywhere along the ...
, Ghana *
Jeepney Jeepneys (), sometimes called jeeps (), are minibus-like public transportation, public utility vehicles, serving as the most popular means of Transportation in the Philippines, public transportation in the Philippines. They are known for their ...
, Philippines *
Colectivo ''Colectivo'' (English: collective bus) is the name given in Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Paraguay to a type of public transportation vehicle, especially those of Argentina's capital city, Buenos Aires. The name comes from ''vehículos de tra ...
, South America * Danfo, Nigeria *
Marshrutka ''Marshrutka''Car Rapide A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as t ...
, Senegal


References


External links

{{Wiktionary
"Ma3, a band inspired by matatu"
''Network Africa''. BBC World Service. 27 February 2012. Public transport in Kenya Share taxis