Can this map change the way cities deal with informal transport?
Nairobi’s new matatu map could help revolutionize public transit in the developing world.
To the untrained eye, this map looks like any other public transit map for a major city, and makes navigating Nairobi’s transit system seem like something you could do with your eyes closed. Except Nairobi’s formal transit system collapsed years ago, leaving a few city-run bus lines catering for over three million people. Like pretty much every city in Africa (and in the global South), Nairobi developed an informal public transportation network of mini-buses and 14-seater vans, here called matatus. This map is the very first attempt at mapping Nairobi’s matatu lines, and any sort of informal mini-bus system around the world, for that matter.
Matatus drivers have a nasty reputation for being a bunch of uneducated, sexist, and reckless rule-breakers; a good amount of people here would rather see them disappear than being glorified in a shiny new map. But attempts from the government to instill discipline into this seemingly chaotic system have been met by paralysing strikes. It doesn’t help that matatu lines are controlled by cartels (to be fair, police officers take their slice of the cake by taking bribes from drivers).
In spite of its many flaws, the matatu system is a fascinating example of what can happen when public transit is organized informally. And it works, too, as drivers are probably the best at navigating Nairobi’s hectic roads, finding shortcuts and avoiding traffic jams when possible. That’s why researchers from Columbia University, MIT and University of Nairobi set out to ride every single matatu line in town and collect a crazy amount of data on itineraries, trip lengths, bus stops and more. The result is a pool of open source data available for anyone to use (notably app developers), and this kick-ass map, downloadable on the project’s website.
What the map shows is that the matatu system is far more organized than it seems and deserves more recognition than it currently gets. But even this, unfortunately, might not be enough to change people’s minds.
I wrote two separate articles on the launch of the map for Nation Media newspapers. A bunch of other journalists were there too, and I was expecting quite a bit of buzz. Yet my articles didn’t get published, and I didn’t find much in other major news media. Mostly, the map seemed to find interest among foreign websites like The Atlantic Cities or NextCity. What surprised me even more is that most Kenyans I spoke to didn’t seem to care much; they said they already knew which matatu lines to take and didn’t need a map to get around. Yet expats seemed crazy about the idea — we’ve all wasted quite a bit of time trying to figure out which matatu to catch during our first few weeks in Nairobi.
I still don’t quite understand why the map didn’t get more attention, although I have a small idea. People here don’t use maps. When I’m heading out in a taxi, I check Google Maps beforehand to know where we’re going, but the driver heads to the neighbourhood first and then stops to ask his way. At matatu stages (that’s how bus and matatu stations are called), employees are paid to incite passengers to ride their vans. When I pass by, either looking for my line or on my way to somewhere else, there’s always someone asking where I’m going. At first I thought they were in to rip me off, but no, these guys are always genuinely helpful (although their indications aren’t always clear). So, there’s no need for maps here, because you’re supposed to rely on each other to find your way.
We take maps for granted, forgetting they’re a cultural object that fits a specific way to get around the city and reinforce individuality and anonymity.
That’s not to say Nairobi’s matatu map is useless, quite the contrary. As the city grows, the various levels of government in charge of road traffic and public transit are really going to need such a tool, and should have initiated it themselves, by the way. But that’s how things often go in Kenya — the government doesn’t take responsibility, because 1) they don’t care and 2) there’s always foreign money, either through NGOs, social enterprises, or research projects, to pay for the job. But that’s material for another debate.
