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Article: Bicycles leave Kenyan taxis in the dust.(EYE ON EARTH)(Brief article)
- Article from:
- World Watch
- Article date:
- July 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Worldwatch Institute. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Bicycle taxis are rapidly supplanting gasoline-powered minibus taxis in parts of western Kenya, according to an April 26 report by Inter Press Service. Residents of Kisumu, a small city 500 kilometers from Nairobi, have long relied on aging minibuses, called "matatus," to get around. But as improvements in the bicycle industry lead to lower production costs, sales of the pedal-powered alternatives are booming.
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Kisumu's bike-taxi commuters can now cross town for half the price of a matatu ride, and usually arrive at their destinations faster because the bicycles, known as "boda bodas," maneuver through traffic more easily. The ...