For a few years in Mopti, the moto taxis have dethroned yellow taxis, which are becoming increasingly rare and have increased their rates. Faced with the explosion of moto taxis, taxi drivers are turning to other activities. Competition can’t be tougher.
They are almost everywhere in the town of Mopti and have the favors of the populations. The tricycles are now part of the landscape and are experiencing their period of glory. In the downtown area of Mopti, where they are stationed, Ahmadou has to go to the Medina-Coura neighborhood. He confides from the start that he will go by moto taxi. « It’s cheaper, I’ll only pay 100 francs. It’s better than taking a taxi at 1000 francs », he says, trying to get into the moto taxi, where women who are probably returning from the market come are getting seated. Amadou has been driving a moto taxi since 2011 after having stopped supplying low-cost labor on construction sites to masons.
Each day, he must pay an income of 7500 CFA francs, like other drivers, to the owner of the moto taxi who pays him about 30000 francs a month. « It’s better than the labor force that only earned me 1000 francs a day. The income was 10000 francs but with the crisis, the boss reduced it », explains the one who comes from Bandiagara and works with another young driver who replaces him during his rest periods and which he pays at the end of the day. There might be about 40 tricycles in circulation in the city.
The tricycles have reduced the price of transport to make it affordable for users. So they have now dethroned the yellow taxis, which dominated the transport sector. Before, explains Issouf Djiguiba, a taxi driver since 2007, it was possible to find a taxi anywhere in the city of Mopti, which could take three people. The transport fee was 150 francs as almost for the sotrama buses in Bamako. « Today we are only ambulances. We are only called to transport a woman about to give birth, a sick person », rants Mamadou Kassambara, who wants only one thing: to leave this trade! To do what? He does not know.
The tricycles have devastated everything since their outbreak in 2011, to the enormous detriment of taxis which also changed the rates. Thus, prices within the city vary between 1000 francs and 3000 CFA francs. Sitting under the tent that serves as a place for their union, these drivers confide their ill-being in a city where life is becoming harder and harder. “We live only by the grace of God. We can spend the day sitting there, finding nothing, not even a single customer, “another driver said, adding that many of his colleagues have left the profession to turn to other activities. But, concludes Mr Kassambara, « people have regretted, because today it is difficult to find a taxi in Mopti ».
Boubacar Sangaré – in Mopti