Kenya has had a blessing in terms of public transport thanks to the Matatu phenomena. However, in the recent past, reckless driving by Matatu drivers has gone into books as having killed more Kenyans than some seriously known chronic diseases.
The Nairobi Matatu system has it that there are designated vehicles registered to ply a certain route. In this mix still, there are different categories of Matatus plying the same route and sometimes picked at different bus stops in town. In some instances, there is usually no difference in fares for the Matatus plying the same route even though they are picked at different stages.
However, most routes have it that some Matatus charge a higher amount than others. Most of those that charge premium amounts are the 14 seater vans. It has been claimed the 14 seater vans are always faster and it does not take them long to fill passengers and that has always given the conductors an excuse to charge higher fares. Sometimes, it is their overlapping ability in the notorious Nairobi peak time traffic.
But looking at it, the difference in time it would take a 14 seater and a 28 or 51 seater bus to get to town in the morning from Githurai Route 45 for instance is about 4-5 minutes. The difference in fares between the two is Kshs 30. (14 seaters charge 80 while mini buses charge 50). In most cases the buses are more comfortable in terms of legspace than the 14 seater vans.
A commuter on this route and many others would be saving at least Kshs 20 by sacrificing 4 minutes with sufficient comfort if they used the buses.
On some routes however, the situation is even more complicated. Ngong road Matatus Route 111 can be found either at Kencom stage, or Nairobi Railway Station bus stop. The Matatus are usually the same size, take the same time and route but have fare differences of up to Kshs 20. Some people would argue about boarding convenience. Kencom and Railways are 4 minutes walk from each other though.
It could be argued that the ‘quality’ and accessorized Matatus charge more. That could be true, but several routes with rickety Matatus still charge very high fares while those with good looking and accessorized ones are charging affordable fares.
So if you come from a route that gives you these choices, what would be the reason why you would pick one and not the other? How much would you save in a month if you took the cheaper option and at what cost?