Zémidjan
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A zémidjan (or zem) is a type of
taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...
found in
Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the nort ...
. The highest concentration is found in the largest city, Cotonou, where there are an estimated 72,000. Zémidjans are
motorcycles A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
that carry one to two passengers for short distances in towns. The fares are entirely negotiable. The drivers wear uniforms that are color-coded by city and have registration numbers on the back. The name derives from the
Fon language Fon (, ) is spoken in Benin, Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and Gabon by approximately 1.7 million speakers, and is the language of the Fon people. Like the other Gbe languages, Fon is an isolating language with an SVO basic word order. Cultural and le ...
where zémidjan means "get me there fast" or "take me quickly". The way to call a zémidjan is "", a word derived from the Fon language. 'Keke' means motorcycle and 'no' means the 'owner of': thus literally means 'owner of motorcycle'. The zémidjan typically stops by and the passenger and driver negotiate the price, depending on the final destination. The minimum rate is 100FCFA. A movie called ''Dreamcycles'' by Nelson Roubert was made about the of Tevisodji Park.


See also

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Taxicab A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choi ...
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Motorcycle taxi A motorcycle taxi, or cart bike or bike taxi, is a licensed form of transport in some countries. The taxi typically carries one passenger, who "rides pillion" behind the motorcycle operator. Multiple passengers are common in some countries. Bra ...


References

Taxis Transport in Benin {{Benin-stub