A ride in a tuk tuk
It’s a bit bumpy, but it gets you where you need to go quite quickly.
You don’t have to live in New York City to ride in a fancy yellow taxi because Randfontein has its own bright yellow tuk tuk taxi.
A tuk tuk is a three-wheeled vehicle. It usually has no windows or doors; instead, it’s enclosed by canvas sides with plastic windows that can open and close.
I saw the yellow tuk tuk chugging around town and decided to go for my first ride in one. They offer transport services around Randfontein and to popular destinations like Village Square and Tambotie Mall.
I easily arranged a ride over the phone by calling the number on the side of the tuk tuk and before I knew it, the driver was at the gate to pick me up.
The driver, 27-year-old Babigumira Gidion, gave me a big smile and opened the canvas door for me to get in. I was surprised to see how spacious the vehicle is because four people can sit comfortably in the back. If you take a tuk tuk ride home after a shopping spree there will be more than enough space for all your shopping bags.
The first thing I noticed was that the tuk tuk smelled a bit like KFC, but that’s because the driver had done a food delivery earlier. Other than that, the vehicle was very clean and tidy and you can see that the driver takes pride in the service he renders to the community.
When we took off, the ride was quite bumpy, almost like driving on a big road with a small scooter. Babigumira tried to speak to me over the roaring of the engine as we drove over a bridge. It’s difficult to hear the driver who sits near the engine, but you can have a nice chat with your friends in the back where it is quieter.
The tuk tuk doesn’t have a radio so I chatted to the driver while stopped at traffic lights, when the engine was quiet. Babigumira said you need a special licence to drive a tuk tuk and that he’s been driving the tuk tuk in Randfontein for a few months.
I asked him if he could show me around Randfontein a bit, so he drove me to Village Square, then to Tambotie Mall and around the Greenhills neighbourhood while we made small talk. Babigumira said that although he’s not South African, he feels like a Randfonteiner. “My home country is Uganda, but I’m very happy here in Randfontein. God has been good to me in South Africa.”
We drove at a speed of between 30 and 40 km/h, which is just a little bit slower than the rest of the traffic, but the tuk tuk still gets you where you need to go quite quickly.
The ride was over too soon, and we slowed to a stop at our destination, where I paid Babigumira in cash before leaving. I can truly say that I can’t wait for my next tuk tuk ride.
For more information on the tuk tuk taxi service, call 081 413 3878 or 061 020 2189.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za (please remember to include your contact details in the email) or phone us on 011 693 3671.
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