The best public transport system in the world?
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Port Vila has what is, arguably, the most efficient public transport system in the world.
The main way of getting around, for the locals, is by bus. Don’t think of a 40-seater behemoth; what we have here are mini-buses that seat around 10 passengers, some on fold-down seats, with a sliding side door. They’re identified by a number plate starting with B, and most of them have some kind of sign painted on them proclaiming their busitude.
You can stand anywhere on the side of the road and wave one down. Just ask the driver if he can take you where he’s going, and chances are he’ll nod his assent. Climb aboard, and you’re off on a sometimes scenic tour of the city.
(The above is not a bus. It is a scenic highlight; specifically, the market on the harbourfront at Port Vila.)
Now, Port Vila’s small, and even a bus trip that goes some way out of your way to drop off other passengers probably won’t take more than 10 minutes. Most of the time you’ll find you can go almost directly to your destination, and the driver will drop you at your door. And given that you never seem to wait more than about 60 seconds to catch a bus, the inconvenience of detours seems pretty minor.
If you’ve got a large group of people, or want to get to or from somewhere awkward, you can get the phone number of a friendly driver and make private arrangements. Yesterday, we did this to get a party of about 12 people to a beach on the outskirts of town, stopping by every person’s house in turn for their swimsuits. When we were done swimming, the same bus came and picked us up.
How much would you expect to pay for this sort service anywhere in the developed world? Here in Vanuatu, a ride anywhere in town is a simple 100 vatu: about one US dollar. To go outside the city to surrounding villages, or for special services, 200-300 vatu is the norm.
There’s also a taxi system, but I’m buggered if I can figure out why you’d ever use it.










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