Mr. & Mrs. Vandebilt + kids

Our main mode of transportation while we are in Addis has been public minivans.  They are all over the city and are the easiest way to get around – much nicer than the public buses which are stuffed beyond standing room or the minibuses that are much the same story. A regular taxi is just too expensive.

The vans are old Toyotas that can hold 12 passengers, technically. Some of the minivans are as old as 1970s and are definitely showing their age. The doors often fall off, the seats move around and a hill is a challenge. In true Ethiopian fashion though they are usually decorated with fur on the dashboard and rope tassels hanging from the ceiling. The law requires that they only take 12 passengers on board but we leave back from the main road so we usually have upwards of 20 passengers squeezed in.

Each van has a driver and a caller. The caller hangs out the window yelling out the stops the van will be making. The vans drive a designated route and will pass by one or two major stops on the way. He also collects the fare from each passenger along the way. It’s quite impressive to watch them work. The fare is different depending on how far along the route you travel. They somehow manage to keep track of everyone’s fare and change during the trip as people get on and off.

The vans are always an adventure but once you catch on to them you can get anywhere in the city quite easily and at most 3Birr (less than a quarter) a trip, you can’t beat it.