Disturbing Trends in Yaounde

The growing rate of clandestine transport has resulted to several disorders in the city. 

One of the most typical activities that usually takes place in most metropolises in the country is transportation. It facilitates the movement of people and goods from one place to another. Disturbingly, the sector in Cameroon’s capital city, Yaounde has been gripped with illegality.

Usually, beside an official park at the bus stop, there is usually an unorthodox one where clandestine vehicles operate. Though these cars, at times, serve people who are in a mad rush to get to their destinations on time, little attention is paid to passengers’ safety as well as the law which is supposed to be respected  by those operating in the sector. On several occasions, transport trade unions in the ten regions of the country have threatened to strike decrying the growing rate of clandestine transporters in the country. On November 10, 2015 for example, some transport trade unions in Douala announced a strike as a result of the disorder hindering their activities. Amongst the grievances presented to the then Senior Divisional Officer for Wouri, the Regional President of the National Union of Professional Drivers decried the growing rate of clandestine transport. During a crisis meeting to resolve the problem, transport trade unionists said vehicles with assorted colours without drivers’ identification badges continue to operate in airports, railway stations, in front of hotels, night clubs, restaurants, bus stations and around major cities in the country, thereby creating unfair competition for regular transporters. The situation in Yaounde is not different.

Transporters lament over the fact that it is common place to see passengers standing by the road side with the intention to hop into any clandestine car rather tha...