Life Matters | Dec 17,2022
Mar 18 , 2023
By Kidist Yidnekachew
A comedian made a joke about how citizens' wishes are not granted but rather what government thinks is our need. Apparently, ours believes we need to get in better shape.
The cost of teff has risen to over 9,000 Br so we could practice intermittent fasting and the week-long restriction on the movements of three-wheeled vehicles so we would walk an extra mile or two; carrying a heavy load is a bonus to building our muscles. While at it, we could practice being homeless as rent has hit the roof not to mention the houses being demolished.
Car owners might not feel the burden of not having three-wheeled rickshaws, commonly called Bajajs. But those of us who live in condominiums and on the outskirts of the city were significantly impacted.
In my residence, bajaj is commonly used as a mode of transport. There are many older people who use it to get around. Parents use it to drop their kids off at nearby schools in case they miss the school bus or an after tutorial classes as some school buses do not give service other than regular school hours. Carrying groceries from nearby stores has been made easier as opposed to getting a ride for a ridiculously short distance.
I happen to take a bajaj ride every day to go to work or else I would be spending 15-30 minutes on the road before reaching the taxi stop giving me another reason to get to work late.
Bajaj drivers are always ready to go, waiting for their turn. Some taxi drivers do not want to go anywhere just opt to sit and chew khat in the car because the weather is too hot. I understand it is a demanding job and a break is much needed but I had never been turned down by a bajaj driver unless taken by another customer.
There was a time I had to go to a funeral around the Akaki area while I was seven months pregnant. My friends and I had to take a bajaj to get into the condominiums in search of our friend’s house. It would have been a long walk had it not been for the bajaj.
It is a livelihood for thousands. The number of youth who saved up enough money or got loans from institutions to buy bajaj and provide is countless. Young men who are bajaj drivers are breadwinners, whose spouses, and families worked in foreign countries and bought it for them to have ownership when they return home. Many drivers change their lives through it by saving up and getting into equb, a traditional means of saving in Ethiopia.
As much as the three-wheelers annoyingly get in the way troubling car owners often, a higher population is dependent on public transport.
Aesthetics is also a laughable argument in a country where people are economically challenged without food and basic need security. The breathtaking projects in the city like the science and art museum, parks and library are most appealing to the eye. However, they do not mean much to someone on an empty stomach.
For me, a country is as good as its citizens. There is nothing beautiful when citizens are struggling to make ends meet.
I understand that government is far from chocolate or pizza that can please everyone but the least it can do is protect its citizens and take off burdens.
So I say hats off for bringing back our three-wheeled friends and making it easier for people to move around!
PUBLISHED ON
Mar 18,2023 [ VOL
23 , NO
1194]
Life Matters | Dec 17,2022
Radar | Mar 11,2023
Radar | Nov 05,2022
Fortune News | Feb 27,2021
Life Matters | Jul 24,2021
Commentaries | Feb 23,2019
Radar | Feb 19,2022
Radar | Jun 24,2023
Featured | Dec 29,2018
Viewpoints | May 15,2021
Photo Gallery | 96169 Views | May 06,2019
Photo Gallery | 88431 Views | Apr 26,2019
My Opinion | 67005 Views | Aug 14,2021
Commentaries | 65717 Views | Oct 02,2021
My Opinion | Apr 13,2024
Feb 24 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
Abel Yeshitila, a real estate developer with a 12-year track record, finds himself unable to sell homes in his latest venture. Despite slash...
Feb 10 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
In his last week's address to Parliament, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) painted a picture of an economy...
Jan 7 , 2024
In the realm of international finance and diplomacy, few cities hold the distinction that Addis Abeba doe...
Sep 30 , 2023 . By AKSAH ITALO
On a chilly morning outside Ke'Geberew Market, Yeshi Chane, a 35-year-old mother cradling her seven-month-old baby, stands amidst the throng...
Apr 13 , 2024
In the hushed corridors of the legislative house on Lorenzo Te'azaz Road (Arat Kilo)...
Apr 6 , 2024
In a rather unsettling turn of events, the state-owned Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (C...
Mar 30 , 2024
Ethiopian authorities find themselves at a crossroads in the shadow of a global econo...
Mar 23 , 2024
Addis Abeba has been experiencing rapid expansion over the past two decades. While se...
Apr 13 , 2024
A severe financial stranglehold has been imposed on the banking industry, underminin...
Apr 13 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
In an unprecedented move, the central bank has published its inaugural stress test report, uncovering potential fault lines within the finan...
Apr 13 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
In a bold departure from its historical position on foreign investment, the federal government has opened...
Apr 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
A proposed excise tax stamp system draws controversy amongst industry leaders in the alcohol, tobacco, be...