This might seem a straightforward question to ask. However, you might as well discover how things have changed, as some cars are more popular for particular transportation than others are. You will also discover that particular cars are customized for particular transportation. Having said that, let us discover these cars!
such overloaded cars are common scenes in Africa
Image source: roadsafety.co.za
Trucks and trailers
Trucks are well known for their specialized transportation. Most users prefer them for their effectiveness in hauling. As you will realize, trailers are conveyances so designed to be pulled by the trucks or tractors. Some trailers are permanently affixed to the trucks making them part of the tractor while others can be detached from the tractors. Some trailers are designed like tankers for transportation of liquids such as fuels, water and milk.
Electric cars
The recent innovation to use electricity as a means to propel cars has made electric cars to gain their popularity in some countries in Africa. Popular electric innovative cars include South Africa’s Joule and the recent Kiira EV showcased in Uganda.
Touring cars
As the name suggests, touring cars are popularly used to transport tourists to their destinations. These cars are customized to provide convenient transport and view of animals by the tourists as they tour Africa’s game parks and game reserves. They also provide transport services for the tourists to their respective tourist hotels where they are booked while on their tourism mission.
Self drive cars
Self-drive cars are also known as personal vehicles. Such vehicle owners prefer the comfort and convenience derived from using their cars for transportation purposes. Parents would use their personal cars to drive their kids to and from school, take their families for tours and some could use their cars to drive themselves to and from work places. It is interesting to note that some companies are offering self drive cars for hire.
It is interesting to note that some users can use self-drive cars when going shopping. Recently, I noticed that some drivers of self-drive cars could stop along the way and pick passengers who might be heading similar destination as the driver’s. Even though drivers of self-drive cars are not in the business of public transport, some of these drivers could charge the passengers money for the transport services received.
Public service vehicles (PSV)
Under this category, there are various cars popular and customized for use in the transportation in Africa. Let us look at a few examples in the section that follows.
Toyota Succeed and ProBox wagons have become popular means of transport in Africa
Image source: commons.wikimedia.org
Shuttle cars and buses
As you will agree, auto companies offering shuttle services are known to ply particular routes only. These means that passengers can expect to utilize the services of shuttle cars on to and fro rounds of those particular routes. To offer services to the demographically diversified clientele, shuttle companies have organized their cars and buses to ply those routes they consider profitable.
Taxicabs
Some persons prefer being driven to their destinations without the need to undergo the hustles of public transportation. In some cases, the need for the transport services of taxicabs operators will depend on urgency of the situation or the convenience of taxis. Users will therefore hire taxis to serve their specific needs. Companies or persons operating taxis have realized that there is a booming market for their services. They therefore offer their services in exchange for money thus the reason taxis are popular in Africa.
