Lesson 13

Transportation

መገናኛ

megenga

This lesson will introduce you to:

- The verbs of motion

- The ways of asking questions regarding the different modes of transportation

- The different types of transportation available in Ethiopia

Ethiopian Airlines is one of Africa’s largest and best airlines, with an extensive network of flights throughout Africa, Europe, Asia and North America. It also has a strong internal network and its prices are reasonable. There is also a good network of cheap, slow buses along all major roads. The only train line runs between Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, and it’s long and slow. In the capital there are luxury taxis for hire at any of the major hotels, and taxis on the street that you can flag down and negotiate the price, either by the hour or to your destination. The average Ethiopian takes the mini bus (weyeyet), which can carry about 10 passengers and is very reasonable. There is also the city bus, which is the cheapest way of getting around, but it is mostly used by the poor; it is very crowded and does not run on time. Although there are many privately owned cars, the majority of Ethiopians use public transportation, and a few use bicycles and motorcycles. In rural areas, horses, mules, camels and horse carriages are used.