I checked around a bit - since the attribution of this to "Africa" seemed a bit vague. It was a 2010 winning entry to "One Minute to Save the World" video contest http://www.1minutetosavetheworld.com/category/homefeatured/ submitted by Dickson Oyugi from Nairobi, Kenya. Cool.
I asked myself the same question about the provenance of this video before I read the first comment. The petrol pump at 0'27" reads "Kobil", a Kenyan company.
I wonder whether there is a problem with theft over there too. In the last 10 years I had two bikes stolen and one destroyed. I would bet that in dollars or euros bike theft is more of a problem than car theft.
When I was in Kenya last (2007?), I have to say I found a lot of bicycle use.
Masai warriors in the countryside managed to cycle, carry a club or spear, and chat on their mobile.
In Nairobi, a large minority of people used bicycles, mostly hardy Indian machines, and chose to push them up the hills of Karen. Bicycle repair sheds were nearly ubiquitous, as common on the roadside as grilled corn vendors.
Nairobi is at a development cross-roads, with extremely mixed traffic. From what I saw, most people walk, followed by bus and Matatu trade. Bicycles would come in 3rd place, and have to share very hazardous roads that also have large freight trucks on long haul through the bush, and men manually hauling carts full of water (for lack of pipe infrastructure). Private automobiles are fairly common, and almost all engines burn the worst quality diesel without any pollution controls.
Cool video, unfortunately I can't seem to believe that many Kenyans (sorry Africans) share this view point. In Nairobi, people ride bikes because they have no other choice, and ride at considerable peril (traffic calming… lol!).
A better video could have been made in Kisumu (Kenya). There you can see even business folks riding on the rear rack of bike taxis. There bicycles are truly part of the culture.
6 comments:
I checked around a bit - since the attribution of this to "Africa" seemed a bit vague. It was a 2010 winning entry to "One Minute to Save the World" video contest http://www.1minutetosavetheworld.com/category/homefeatured/
submitted by Dickson Oyugi from Nairobi, Kenya. Cool.
I asked myself the same question about the provenance of this video before I read the first comment. The petrol pump at 0'27" reads "Kobil", a Kenyan company.
I wonder whether there is a problem with theft over there too. In the last 10 years I had two bikes stolen and one destroyed. I would bet that in dollars or euros bike theft is more of a problem than car theft.
When I was in Kenya last (2007?), I have to say I found a lot of bicycle use.
Masai warriors in the countryside managed to cycle, carry a club or spear, and chat on their mobile.
In Nairobi, a large minority of people used bicycles, mostly hardy Indian machines, and chose to push them up the hills of Karen. Bicycle repair sheds were nearly ubiquitous, as common on the roadside as grilled corn vendors.
Nairobi is at a development cross-roads, with extremely mixed traffic. From what I saw, most people walk, followed by bus and Matatu trade. Bicycles would come in 3rd place, and have to share very hazardous roads that also have large freight trucks on long haul through the bush, and men manually hauling carts full of water (for lack of pipe infrastructure). Private automobiles are fairly common, and almost all engines burn the worst quality diesel without any pollution controls.
Thanks, Za! Do you have any idea if there are efforts to calm traffic and make walking and cycling safer in Kenya?
Cool video, unfortunately I can't seem to believe that many Kenyans (sorry Africans) share this view point. In Nairobi, people ride bikes because they have no other choice, and ride at considerable peril (traffic calming… lol!).
A better video could have been made in Kisumu (Kenya). There you can see even business folks riding on the rear rack of bike taxis. There bicycles are truly part of the culture.
I always step down with one foot, leaving the other on a pedal.
beach cruiser bicycle
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