Getting Around

I love the public transport here in Mauritius. There are no trendy metropolitan trams, no double-decker trains, and no cats on the water – just good old fashioned buses. And I mean old fashioned in the oldest way possible, various sources have corroborated, these buses were in service back in the 60s; and were dated then too. They’re pretty simple diesel creatures, a hardy metal shell with an apparently two-speed engine strapped to the underside. But the best thing about the buses here is the timetable. Or lack of.

Just turn up and a bus will be with you shortly. I don’t think we’ve had to wait more than five minutes before seeing that familiar shape roaring towards us, manically zipping between lanes dodging slower cars. The various bus routes in Mauritius are all serviced by competing companies, so they always come fast and often!

The Bus Driver is sealed away from the rest of us, kept separate behind glass windows which would make the Pope green with envy. More fun is The Ticket Guy who comes over to your seat to collect your fare. Most of them are pretty on the ball and collect the money almost immediately* after boarding, though some of them are too busy chatting, texting and generally having a good time. Michael and I once took one such bus, we got to within 50 metres of our destination before The Ticket Guy had worked his way to the middle and demanded payment. If only we’d been Backseat Bandits…


*I use this term loosely, we are running on Island Time here