A Day in My Life: Transportation

Transportation can be tricky to coordinate in the United States, so imagine transportation in a third world country.  Yes, I am lucky that I have many transportation options in Honduras, but safety is a huge concern.  Since safety is such a huge issue here, I'll break down the different transportation options and rank them in terms of cost, safety, and efficiency.


Rapidito Buses

Rapidito Buses are basically 20 passenger vans that look similar to vans that a tour company might use.  They are generally very crowded and can be overwhelming.  Loud Hip-hop music often blasts from the speakers as the bus weaves in and out of traffic along a pre-determined route.  These buses also have a 'guide' (for lack of better words) who rides while hanging halfway off the buss.  These guides commonly jump off of the bus as it is in motion to try and entice more people to ride.  They also are in charge of taking your money and making sure everyone on the street knows that his bus is the best bus on that route. The plus side to these buses is that they are incredibly quick, come every 10 minutes or so, and aren't that expensive.  However, the major downfall is that these buses can be incredibly unsafe.  In fact, most Hondurans I've talked with actually avoid these buses because they deem them so unsafe. 

Cost: $$
Safety: 2/10
Efficiency: 7/10


Taxi Colectivos

Taxi Colectivos are similar to Rapiditos in many ways.  They both charge similar amounts to drive passengers through the city on pre-determined routes.  The major different with colectivos is that they can only transport a max of 4 passengers at a time since they are a 4-door car.  These cars look completely identical except for a set of letters in the corner of the windshield that identifies which route it drives.  I have yet to figure out the colectivo routes even though I've ridden in them a handful of times.  During my rides, I also felt slightly safer than when I rode in rapiditos.  This is because people have to flag down these taxis and the taxi only stops on the route when someone needs dropped off.

Cost: $$
Safety: 4/10
Efficiency: 7/10


Chicken Buses

Chicken Buses are slow, safe, entertaining, and only found in more rural towns.  These buses are easily distinguishable due to most of them looking like American school buses!  Sometimes they are painted with elaborate designs and look like they're ready to enter a monster truck derby, but most of the time they are just yellow.  These buses tend to drive very slow and are the cheapest option besides walking!  Since these buses generally only drive through rural communities, they are one of the safest forms of public transportation. I haven't yet had the pleasure of riding in a chicken bus, but I'm sure it will be one of my next adventures.

Cost: $
Safety: 6.5/10
Efficiency: 5/10



Private/Radio Taxis
Radio Taxis are very similar to how ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lift operate.  In order to 'hail' one of these cabs, an individual has to text or call the company to let them know their current location and their destination.  I prefer texting these companies that way I can double check my information and have a timestamp on all my updates.  Individuals *usually* receive a text message when the taxi is sent and once more when the taxi is outside ready to pick you up.  These updates generally include the color/model of the car along with the license plate number.  These rides are one of the safer options since they take you directly to your destination without picking up other people.  One major downside to this form of transportation is that you never know how long it will take for a ride to arrive.  The other issue I have is that rides are relatively expensive and even fluctuate based on what time you are utilizing the taxi.

Cost: $$$$
Safety: 9/10
Efficiency: 8/10


Conclusion
Although I much prefer having my own car for my transportation needs, it isn't possible here.  Because transportation is a nightmare and often costs more money than I budget for, I walk where I can.  Since my neighborhood area is relatively safe, you can find me walking in 90 degree heat for 30 mins to do my grocery shopping for the week.  Although I'm drenched in sweat at the end of my trip, it sure beats waiting for a taxi.  After all, saving that taxi money allows me to buy a sweet treat at the grocery store- something I always look forward to!