The transport in Malawi is funny. Perhaps this is also practiced in other parts of Africa, not only in Malawi. I was told, before I came, that minibuses are frequent and take you everywhere you go. Hmm that was very good as I could avoid taking cabs. But what never crossed my mind was how the minibuses look like – well put it this way, they’re not really ‘buses’, they shall be called ‘vans’ (in Malaysia) or 'multi-purpose van' or MPV (in the UK). There is a driver and a ‘minibus’ conductor. Ok the driver drives (apparently..) and the conductor shouts along the way for customers. There is no signboard on the minibuses where they’re going to. So the conductors function as the signboards. The destination could change, depends on customers’ request. And they will go when the minibus is full of passengers. But usually they will have no problems getting passengers. As that is the most convenient means of transport, and it’s cheap. One ride, no matter how long it is, costs 50 kwacha. My ride was only 200m in distance basically – as I hopped off the wrong stand (and ended up walking a long way home). I was very nervous at the thought of talking these minibuses as I saw no white/Asian people doing that. But my landlord assured me it’s absolutely fine to do that. It felt so strange to stop a bus the way you hitch-hike but I did that yeah.
On my way back I also two men pushing a minibus. The minibus was fully seated. It looked like the minibus could never move and it had the chance of breaking down anytime. But everybody was so CALM – nobody got down the bus. I suddenly thought about the health & safety we preached so much about in the UK. I wonder what my H&S officer shall comment on this scene! Well finally the bus happily moved on, leaving a trail of white exhaust smoke on my face..
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