Nairobi residents have become adept at incorporating survival tactics as the cost of living continues to escalate amid reduced business opportunities and growing unemployment.
Transport caters for a significant portion of daily expenses in Nairobi and this is where city dwellers use all manner of tricks to minimise matatu fares as much as possible.
From befriending conductors to boarding matatus at certain stages, residents opt to use the more affordable route in order to arrive at their destinations.
Kenyans.co.ke takes a look at these tricks:
Moving to an Affordable Area
While the logical assumption would be that Nairobi fares are charged based on the distance, the reality is that there are other sensitive considerations that determine how much you pay to move from point A to B.
Low-income areas tend to have lower fares, even when they are much closer to the city. For instance, it is not unusual to find a matatu moving from Githurai charge Ksh50 and increase the fare when it gets to Roysambu where the customers have higher spending power.
The trick clever dwellers use is to use matatus targeting low-income residential areas and can either connect to their destinations or be dropped along the way.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Willy Maina, a resident in Nairobi, gave an instance of how residents employ this trick to their advantage.
"I lived in Roysambu where fare from town was Ksh100 during rush hour. I would instead use the Githurai matatus and pay Ksh40 and Ksh50 even though the matatus travel a longer distance. Then they would drop me at Roysambu," he stated.
Other residents relocate from posh areas to areas where the fare rates are more affordable.
Travelling Early and Leaving Late
This strategy is mainly used by those who travel to the city centre.
Matatu fares are usually low between 4 am and 6 am as the demand is lower. The commuters hop on the early bird offer and stick around in the evening when the fares drop.
"I normally pay as low as Ksh40 when leaving Rongai at 4 am. I get to work early and I also stay up late to catch the last bus. Before the curfew I would Ksh50 bob whenever I left town at 11 pm," Mike Wekesa told this writer.
Alternative Stages
Commuters have become accustomed to stages that offer a more affordable and cheaper alternative as compared to other saccos.
This is because fare rates vary depending on the peak and off-peak hours. Further, a section of matatu touts are notorious for hiking fares during peak hours in order to milk the passengers dry.
Walking Half the Distance
A section of residents resort to trekking half the distance in order to save a few bucks. Although not advisable for commuters who are pressed for time, it's however, resourceful for those who endeavour on the journey.
"So for me, instead of taking a matatu from South C to CBD, it's going to cost around Ksh80-Ksh100, I walk from South C to Nyayo, and board a matatu which costs Ksh20-Ksh30," TV host Kimani Mbugua detailed.
Crafting friendship with conductors
Arguably one of the most common tricks used by commuters, crafting a friendship with conductors gets a high probable chance to part with less fare.
Brian Mbuvi, a resident along Thika Road, however, decried this move alleging that a section of conductors uses this to their advantage.
"We usually find the passenger seat next to the driver is booked for a certain friend. The downside to this is that most of us end up queueing for hours while waiting for the matatu only to be informed that some seats have been reserved," decried Mbuvi.
Standing the Whole Journey
Another nifty trick is whereby some passengers wait until the bus is full to capacity and spend the whole journey standing- which on more than occasion leads to some paying less fare.
Mbuvi affirmed using the trick on numerous bus rides.
"The conductors are always busy collecting money from passengers that they forget to collect from those standing, A couple of times I ended up arriving at my destination without remitting my fare," he stated.
