Transportation in Burkina is Really Fun…

Have you ever been in a taxi or a bus with no break pads, one that has run out of gas in the middle of the road, one that has broken down on the side of the road for 13 hours, or one that has left 6 hours late for no apparent reason? All of these things have happened to me here at least once, and some on multiple occasions.

I have two methods of transport: my bicycle and public transport. My bike I use on a daily basis to do everything in close proximity, which includes rolling (literally) up to school to teach while I’m hot, sweaty, covered in dirt, and don’t forget my helmet. Although this is a pain, and I’ve had my share, or more than my share, of bicycle accidents, this is the preferable method when possible because the other option is public transport.

Public transport… how do I even start to describe it? When you step into the bus station, which is literally an empty, dusty, dirty lot with a latrine if I’m lucky, you have no idea what lies ahead of you. I have been on plenty of trips that went off without a problem, and I have been on a lot of trips that make me never want to leave my house again.



Public transport comes in two types: somewhat reliable buses, or bush taxis. Now, I’ve had my share of ‘fun experiences’ in the reliable buses, including have the door fly off on the highway, the tire fall off, and having a baby poop in a cup next to me. Once, after a much anticipated departure, the bus pulled out into the road, then immediately broke down horizontally across the road blocking the entire thing.

But the real fun starts with the bush taxis. They cars they used change on a daily basis, so it’s all luck of the draw what car you get. Sometimes you get a ‘good’ one with real seats and all the windows. Sometimes you get the bad ones where you sit on crates, and there are holes big enough in the ground that a baby could fall through. One of my favorite times was sitting behind the driver, who had no seat (see picture below). He was sitting on the metal part that one would normally hook a seat on. Then, as we prepare to take off, he starts the car by hot wiring it. Almost every bush taxi I’ve ever been in has to be pushed by a few people to get it started.





No matter what type of transport you get, two things will always be the same. One… they will always pack in at least double the amount of people than the car should normally hold. And two… they will pack any luggage, no matter of the size. This includes any amount of motorcycles and bicycles, any living animal you can imagine, or even a car (which I actually saw once). Often times, the crap piled on top of the car is at least 2-3 times higher than the height of the actual car. Thank god the cars are so crappy that they can’t go very fast.





After living here for a year and a half, almost nothing surprises me about transportation anymore. But, I must admit that funniest part of all this is imagine my parents doing transport here. They are planning on visiting here, and I can’t wait to put them on public transportation. The thought of them cramming into a car like cattle, or holding some woman’s baby who’s peeing on you, or having a chicken flapping around at their feet… priceless.