In Mombasa, three wheeler taxis swagger

A bird’s eye view gaze on the traffic at Mombasa City’s metropolitan road network creates a shivering spectacle to behold. Three wheeler taxis commonly known as tuk tuk are to be found all over meandering and criss-crossing the major streets and avenues as they thunder their unique tuk tuk sound along the way. Though they are a convenient means of transport compared to others, the way they are driven is dangerous, needless to say, that most of the accidents in the city are caused by them. They maneuver in between the lanes disregarding the laid down traffic codes sometimes even driving to the opposite on a single lane! There was a comedy sort of last week when Martisen, a tourist created a stir when he refused to pay for services rendered. It is reported that he and his wife Bertha had signaled for one to stop at the city centre and requested to be dropped off at Old Town, Fort Jesus to be precise. The ride from where they were picked is relatively a short distance, but the crude way the three wheeler unit was handled was simply diabolic. In Denmark where the duo came from, any passenger vehicle is fixed with safety belt but alas, the tuk tuk didn’t have them and to make it worse the doors could only cover up to their ankles! The tuk tuk dangerously zigzagged across the lanes swerving precariously almost vomiting out its precious contents from overseas. The tuk tuk penetrated in between other motorists by whiskers something which is said to have raised the duos adrenalin. “How can I pay for someone for attempting to kill me?” Martisen was heard shouting at the driver as he resisted paying for the services rendered after alighting from the tuk tuk something that pulled a small crowd to the scene. He in fact had attempted to man handle the driver in his anger were it not for his wife who restrained him. She managed to successfully cool down his now red faced and sweaty husband and agreed to part with the fifty shillings fee, as had agreed prior to what will forever be a nightmare ride to remember for them. “Hii ni Mombasa, mtalijua jiji” This is Mombasa, you’ve got to be city compliant. A local was heard saying as the small assembly dispersed. skangongoi@yahoo.com

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In Mombasa, three wheeler taxis swagger