Mondo's volunteers in Uganda: Liiklus ja liiklemine. / Transportation system.

Esiteks ehmatas mind siia saabudes päris korralikult vasakpoolne liikluskorraldus ehk alati oli tunne, et autod-bussid-mootorrattad tulevad sellest suunast, kust neid oodata ei oska. Üle tee minnes hakkas juba esimesel päeval tekkima vaikselt harjumus esmalt paremale vaadata. Kuigi arvestades liikluses valitsevat üldist kaost on kindlam vaadata mõlemale poole ja mitu korda. Esimest korda boda-bodal ringteele liikudes oli natuke jube, sest automaatselt tundus nii vale, et juht läheneb ringile vasakult. Nüüdseks olen enam-vähem harjunud, kuid päris kindlust veel jalgades pole.

Minu põhilised liiklusvahendid:

- taxi = matatu = minibuss, kuhu tohib ametlikult 14 reisijat sisse mahutada, esimestesse ridadesse pannakse tavaliselt mõni lisareisija juurde. Kohati saadab sõitu vali muusika, kuid seda on võrreldes näiteks Peruuga oluliselt vähem. Kui tean, kus maha minna ja kaua enam-vähem sinnani läheb, siis saan sõites juba raamatut lugeda.

- boda boda = mottorrattatakso, mille juht peab ametlikult kiivrit kandma ja reisijaid tohib uue seaduse järgi olla ainult üks. Nendest reeglitest peetakse pealinnas rohkem kinni kui mujal. Kukkumised ongi ilmselt ohtlikumad linnades, kus kaasliiklejaid igast suunast välja võib ilmuda. Igatahes hankisin mina eelmise nädala lõpus endale uhiuue punase kiivri (28 000 UGX), mida lähipäevil katsetama asun. Paljud vabatahtlikud kasutavad igapäevaselt ühe kindla boda-juhi teenuseid – kindlam, odavam ja turvalisem.

- jalad = kõndimine ehk et lühemaid vahemaid läbin jalgsi ja see pole sugugi koormav. Lihtsalt peab valima pisut kõrvalisemaid tänavaid, et enda kopse heitgaasidest pisut säästa. Hommikuti on õhk samuti värskem ja mõnusam. Bluesky kooli juures on üleüldse kõik rohelust ja värskust täis ja näiteks korra olen juba sealt suure teeni kõndinud, väga mõnus!

Kampala vanas kesklinnas, kuhu minibussid linna sõites enamasti suunduvad, on olemas nö uus ja vana taksopark (New Taxi Park, Old Taxi Park), mis on mõlemad pidevalt bussidest ja reisijatest tulvil. Kui tahan linnast koju jõuda, siis esialgu on lihtsaim viis suunduda uue taksopargi tagumisse otsa, kus on suur silt Wakiso/Nansana.

Üldiselt on liikluses veel – bussid, veoautod, jalgratturid 10 veekanistri või 7 kasti joogipudelitega, naised kandams pea peal banaane täis alust, ülikondades ärimehed, lapsi kandvad naised jne.

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At first I was quite shocked by the left-hand traffic in Uganda. Meaning that I always had the feeling that cars-busses-bikes were appearing from all possible unexpected directions. It took some hours before I started to first look to my right while trying to cross a road. Although considering the general chaos of the traffic here – it is better to look right and left and several times before stepping off the sidewalk. It was also a little bit horrifying when I experienced (as a passenger) a boda-boda approaching a roundabout for the first time. Automatically I had the idea that going to the left was just so wrong. Now I have almost gotten used to it but my feet still feel a bit insecure at times.

My main means of transportation

- taxi = matatu = a minibus that can officially take 14 passengers but the first rows are usually fitted with some people extra. At times the journey is accompanied by loud music but compared to for example Lima, Peru it occurs less often. If I know where I want to get off and how long the journey takes, then I can already read a book while on a taxi. For a stop one can say: parking, stage (a word used for 'station'), or maasa awo (pronounced similar to 'maasao').

- boda boda = motorcycle-taxi (originally bicycle-taxi). Officially the driver has to have a helmet and there should be only one passenger but actually you can fit three passengers on it. The rules for helmet and passengers are followed more in the captal then elsewhere. Falling off a boda is a lot more dangerous in the city traffic (with all other vehicles appearing suddenly on all sides) compared to the dirt roads in the countryside. So last week I got myself a brand-new red helmet (28 000 UGX) that I´ll start using today. Many volunteers have their „personal” boda-drivers that pick them up in the morning and drive back from the project organisation in the evening.

- feet = walking is used for shorter distances and I enjoy it a lot. If possible then I choose streets with less traffic in order to spare my lungs from all the fumes. During morning hours the air is also fresher and nicer. Around Bluesky school the environment is in general green and refreshing and once I already walked back from there to the big road, it was great!

In the center of Kampala, where the taxis usually end up when going towards city, there is the Old Taxi Park and the New Taxi Park. This means a large area constantly filled with vehicles and passengers. If I want to get back home from Kampala then I can try to get a taxi from the far back of the New Taxi Park, just at the sign „Wakiso, Nansana” (the taxi parks are the only places with signs it seems).

Also found in the traffic – buses, lorries, cyclists with 10 water canisters or 7 crates of soda bottles, women carrying a plate with bananas on their head, businessmen in suits, women carrying children etc.