The reasons you will find tuktuks in Mombasa not Nairobi

Tuktuks have ‘invented’ the city of Mombasa, that is a common knowledge.

Such a high number of these vehicles is not common in Nairobi. What is the driving force?

Their attraction in Mombasa could be a result of their manoeuvrability along the narrow streets. They can get where a car can’t. There’s also a weather angle – it’s hot and humid and walking is difficult. A tuktuk easily takes you from one point to another cheaply. They’re also cheap to fuel.

Tuktuks are popular in tropical weather nations, from Cambodia to India and El Salvador. In Nairobi, the weather allows you to walk long distances comfortably. Not so in Mombasa and other hot places . 

Mombasa is unique in that lots of people live and work within the town. That probably gives Mombasa residents a different perception of distance. Nairobians are used to long commutes. A Nairobian might not pay for the short distances Mombasa residents pay for.

 

The tuktuk’s absence in Nairobi might have to do with pride. I don’t think one would feel very happy being dropped outside a meeting spot by a tuktuk on Valentine’s Day. To a Nairobian, a tuktuk is a sign of being unsophisticated. That perhaps explains why Uber did so well in Nairobi. Uber took care of different social-economic classes, with hustlers taking Boda and Chapchap, while others take UberX and Select. 

To be fair, tuktuks are popular in other towns outside Nairobi. They’re popular with hustlers out to outshine sufferers.

Curiously, there seem to be more tuktuks than motorcycles in Mombasa compared to Nairobi. 

Since motorbikes are ‘lower’ than tuktuks, could we conclude that Nairobi has more hustlers than Mombasa? Or that since motorbikes are faster than tuktuks, they reflect Nairobians’ higher value for time? 

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