Share taxi - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

State / Territory / Region	Name used
	Furgon
	Taxis collectifs
	Candongueiro
	Colectivo (old usage) Combi (current usage)
	Marshrutka Marshrutka Marshrutka , from marshrutnoye taksi is a share taxi in the CIS countries, the Baltic states, and Bulgaria. Marshrutnoye taksi literally means routed taxicab... or երթուղային տաքսի ert’uġayin tak'si
	Multi-hire taxi
	Zed err (After the first two letters of their license plates ZR)
Benin	Kia kia (Yorùbáland Yorùbáland Yorubaland, or Yorùbáland , is a cultural region in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo that includes the indigenous territory and cultural reach of the Yoruba people.- History :-Settlement:Oduduwa is regarded as the legendary progenitor of the Yoruba... )
	Marshrutka (маршрутка)
	Trufi or Combi
	Kombi (After VW's Kombi Volkswagen Type 2 The Volkswagen Type 2, officially known as the Transporter or Kombi informally as Bus or Camper , was a panel van introduced in 1950 by German automaker Volkswagen as its second car model – following and initially deriving from Volkswagen's first model, the Type 1 , it was given the factory... )
	Táx lotação, alternativo
	Marshrutka Marshrutka Marshrutka , from marshrutnoye taksi is a share taxi in the CIS countries, the Baltic states, and Bulgaria. Marshrutnoye taksi literally means routed taxicab... (маршрутка)
	Jitney In Quebec Quebec Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level.... , taxis collectifs or transport collectif par taxi or taxibus
	Colectivo Colectivo Colectivo is the name given in Argentina and Paraguay to a type of public transportation vehicles, especially those of Argentina's capital city, Buenos Aires... , Buseta
	Taxi pirata
	Colectivo Colectivo Colectivo is the name given in Argentina and Paraguay to a type of public transportation vehicles, especially those of Argentina's capital city, Buenos Aires...
	Gbaka
	Fula fula (Kinshasa Kinshasa Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River.... )Tap-tap, fula-fula, kia-kia: The Haitian bus in Atlantic perspective. Thompson, Robert Farris. African Arts. Los Angeles: Spring 1996. Vol. 29, Iss. 2; p. 39
	Almendrón
	Service taxi
	Concho, carro público
East Timor East Timor The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...	Mikrolet
	Mashrou' (مشروع)
	Coaster, or minibus (Coster)
	Liinitakso or marsruuttakso
	Minibus taxi
	Tanka tanka
	Sammeltaxi
	Tro tro
	Camioneta
	Magbana (Conakry Conakry Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500... )
	Tap tap
	Name in English: Public light bus Public light bus A Public light bus is a common public mode of transport in Hong Kong. It mainly serves the area that standard Hong Kong bus lines cannot reach as efficiently. It is also colloquially known as a minibus or a van, defined as a kind of share taxi.... , minibus or van Name in Chinese: or
	Angkot, Bemo, Mikrolet (Jakarta Jakarta Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre... ), Oplet (Pekanbaru Pekanbaru Pekanbaru is the capital of Riau, a province in Indonesia on the island of Sumatra. It has an area of 632.26 km² and a population of 903,902. Located on the Siak River, which drains to the Strait of Malacca... , Padang Padang, Indonesia Padang is the capital and largest city of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located on the western coast of Sumatra at . It has an area of and a population of over 833,000 people at the 2010 Census.-History:... ), Pete pete (Makassar Makassar Makassar, is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang, after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably... ), Sudako (Medan Medan - Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang.... ), other names exist
	Shared taxi, Six-seater auto, Eight-seater auto, Phat a phat, Polaamboo
	Taxi (conventional taxicabs are called taxi services)
	Monit Sherut מוֹנִית שֵׂרוּת
	Taxi collettivo
	Marshrutka Marshrutka Marshrutka , from marshrutnoye taksi is a share taxi in the CIS countries, the Baltic states, and Bulgaria. Marshrutnoye taksi literally means routed taxicab... (маршрутное такси, or маршрутка)
	Matatu
	Service (سرفيس)
	Maršruta taksometrs
	Maršrutinis taksi
	Kombe (Комбе)
	Shared Outstation Taxi
	Sotrama, dourouni
	Auto de Ruta (Ruletero), Colectivo, Rutero, Pesero Pesero A pesero is a form of public transport, most commonly seen in Mexico City. Its name derives from the fact that the first incarnations of this form of transport charged a flat fee of one peso per ride .First seen in the 1970's as the so-called taxi colectivo , peseros were originally... or Combi, (pesero and combi, usually a small bus)
	Maxi taxi (formal), Rutiera (informal)
	Grand Taxi, Petit Taxi
	Chapa
	Micro
	Taxi Colectivo (for taxis), microbus (for minivans)
	Deeltaxi, Treintaxi
	Shuttle van
	Bolekaja (Lagos Lagos Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa... ), danfo (Lagos Lagos Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa... ), kia kia (Yorùbáland Yorùbáland Yorubaland, or Yorùbáland , is a cultural region in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo that includes the indigenous territory and cultural reach of the Yoruba people.- History :-Settlement:Oduduwa is regarded as the legendary progenitor of the Yoruba... ), molue (for midibus Midibus A midibus is a classification of single-decker minibuses which generally are larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between and long... es)
	Local Van or Vagon
	Colectivo (it is more taxi-like and has a fixed route) Combi (its is more like a small minibus and has a fixed route)
	Jeepney Jeepney Jeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II and are known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating... or V–Hire (Vehicle for Hire Vehicle for hire thumb\|190px\|[[Taxicab]]s in [[New York City]]thumb\|190px\|right\|[[Cycle rickshaw\|Velotaxi]] in [[New York City]]A vehicle for hire is a vehicle providing shared transportation, which transports one or more passengers between locations of the passengers' choice .Vehicles for hire can be distinguished... )
	Bus, busik, minibus, mikrobus, nyska
	Carros públicos, pisicorre (pisa y corre), guagua
	Maxi taxi
	Marshrutka Marshrutka Marshrutka , from marshrutnoye taksi is a share taxi in the CIS countries, the Baltic states, and Bulgaria. Marshrutnoye taksi literally means routed taxicab... (маршрутное такси, or маршрутка)
	twegerane, shared taxi, coaster bus
	Car Rapide (for midibus Midibus A midibus is a classification of single-decker minibuses which generally are larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between and long... es)
	Poda poda
	Strely (In Martin Martin, Slovakia Martin is a city in northern Slovakia, situated on the Turiec river, between the Malá Fatra and Veľká Fatra mountains, near the city of Žilina. The population numbers approximately 58,000, which makes it the eighth largest city in Slovakia... , Martinské strely)
	Minibus
	Caasi, xaajiqamsiin
	Combi, Zola or Teksi
	Service (سرفيس)
	Dala dala
	Songthaew Songthaew A songthaew , also known in English as a baht bus, is a passenger vehicle in Malaysia, Thailand and Laos adapted from a pick-up or a larger truck and used as a share taxi.... (สองแถว)
Togo	Kia kia (Yorùbáland Yorùbáland Yorubaland, or Yorùbáland , is a cultural region in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo that includes the indigenous territory and cultural reach of the Yoruba people.- History :-Settlement:Oduduwa is regarded as the legendary progenitor of the Yoruba... )
	Maxi taxi Maxi taxi Maxi taxis are private, owner-operated minibuses in Trinidad and Tobago that are used in public transport. They operate along fixed routes, having fixed fares and meeting points. However they do not operate under a timetable...
	Louage
	Dolmuş
	Kamunye, Matatu or taxi
	Marshrutka Marshrutka Marshrutka , from marshrutnoye taksi is a share taxi in the CIS countries, the Baltic states, and Bulgaria. Marshrutnoye taksi literally means routed taxicab... (маршрутне таксі, or маршрутка)
	Demand Responsive Transport, DRT
	Circulator, jitney, dollar van Dollar Van A dollar van is a privately owned type of bus service used to carry passengers in the United States of America. Dollar vans typically operate in neighborhoods within urban areas that are under-served by public mass transit or taxis. Some of the dollar vans are licensed and regulated, while others... , shuttle service, shared ride limousine, guagua
	Marshrutka Marshrutka Marshrutka , from marshrutnoye taksi is a share taxi in the CIS countries, the Baltic states, and Bulgaria. Marshrutnoye taksi literally means routed taxicab... (маршрутка)
	Carrito por puesto
	Dabaab
	Commuter Omnibus or Tshova
Many West and Central African countries, & Madagascar Madagascar The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...	Bush taxi
Some Latin American countries	Públicos, colectivos, carritos, gauguas

A share taxi is a mode of transport

Mode of transport

Mode of transport is a term used to distinguish substantially different ways to perform transport. The most dominant modes of transport are aviation, land transport, which includes rail, road and off-road transport, and ship transport...

that falls between taxis

Taxicab

A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...

and conventional bus

Bus

A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...

es. These informal vehicles for hire

Vehicle for hire

thumb|190px|[[Taxicab]]s in [[New York City]]thumb|190px|right|[[Cycle rickshaw|Velotaxi]] in [[New York City]]A vehicle for hire is a vehicle providing shared transportation, which transports one or more passengers between locations of the passengers' choice .Vehicles for hire can be distinguished...

are found throughout the world. They are smaller than buses, and usually take passengers on a fixed or semi-fixed route without timetables, usually leaving when all seats are filled. Most stop anywhere to pick up or drop off passengers.

Often found in developing countries under a variety of local names, the vehicles used as share taxis range from standard four-seater cars up to minibuses. Many are privately owned and have an anarchic operating style, lacking central control or organisation.

Iles, Richard (2006). Public Transport in Developing Countries Elsevier, ISBN 0-08-044558-6
Nairobi Today: the Paradox of a Fragmented City; Hidden $ Centz: Rolling the Wheels of Nairobi Matatu. Mbugua wa-Mungai. (page 373) edited by Helene Charton-Bigot, Deyssi Rodriguez-Torres. African Books Collective, 2010. 404 pages. 9987080936, 9789987080939. (Google Books)
Kenyans live in silent fear of Mungiki gang reuters.com, Sun Jul 1, 2007 5:44pm EDT
Stuck in Traffic; Urban Transport in Africa (page 10) Ajay Kumar & Fanny Barrett. Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic in cooperation with the World Bank, January 2008. Draft Final Report.

The UITP term "informal transport" includes share taxis.

The terminus

A given share taxi route may start and finish in fixed central locations, and landmarks may serve as route names or route termini. In some African cities routes are run between formal termini, where the majority of passengers board. In these places the share taxis wait for a full load of passengers prior to departing, and off-peak wait times may be in excess of an hour.

In other places there may be no formal termini, with taxis simply congregating at a central location, instead.

Even more-formal terminals may be little more than parking lots.

Along the route

Where they exist, share taxis provide service on set routes within and sometimes between towns.

After a share taxi has picked up passengers at its terminus, it proceeds along a route, from which it does not deviate. Drivers will stop anywhere to allow riders to disembark, and may sometimes do the same when prospective passengers want to ride.

Operational distinctions

While all share taxis share certain characteristics—and many regional versions exhibit peculiarities—some basic operational distinctions can be delineated.

Company

Some share taxis are operated by a company. For example, in Dakar

Dakar

Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...

there are company-owned fleets of hundred of car rapides.

Individual

In Africa, while there are company share taxis, individual owners are more usual. Rarely owning more than two vehicles at a time, they will rent out a minibus to operators, who pay fuel and other running costs, and keep revenue.

Syndicates

In some African cities share taxi minibuses are overseen by syndicates, unions, or route associations. These groups often function in the absence of a regulatory

Regulation

Regulation is administrative legislation that constitutes or constrains rights and allocates responsibilities. It can be distinguished from primary legislation on the one hand and judge-made law on the other...

environment and may collect dues or fees from drivers (such as per-use terminal payments), set routes, manage terminals, and fix fares. Terminal management may include ensuring each vehicle leaves with a full load of passengers.

Because the syndicates represent owners, their regulatory efforts tend to favor operators rather than passengers, and the very termini syndicates upkeep can cost delays and money for passengers as well as forcing them to disembark at inconvenient locations, in a phenomenon called "terminal constraint".

Regulation

In Africa, regulation

Regulation

is mainly something that pertains to the vehicle itself not its operator or its mode of operation.

In Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

, regulation does extend to operators and mode of operation (such as routes used) as well as the vehicle

As of 2008, African minibuses are difficult to tax

Tax

To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...

, and may operate in a "regulatory vacuum" perhaps because their existence is not part of a government scheme, but is simply a market response to a growing demand for such services. Route syndicates and operator's associations often exercise unrestricted control, and existing rules may see little enforcement.

Types of vehicle

Share taxi is a unique mode of transport

Mode of transport

independent of vehicle

Vehicle

A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....

type. Minibus

Minibus

A minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a...

es, midibus

Midibus

A midibus is a classification of single-decker minibuses which generally are larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between and long...

es, covered pickup truck

Pickup truck

A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...

s, station wagon

Station wagon

A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...

s, and lorries

Truck

A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...

see use as share taxis.

Certain vehicle types may be better-suited to current condition than others. In many traffic-choked, sprawling, and low-density African cities minibuses profit.

Traditional systems around the world

While carrying different names and distinguished by regional peculiarities, the share taxi is an everyday feature of life in many places throughout the world.

Black taxi (Northern Ireland)

In some towns in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

, notably certain districts in Ballymena

Ballymena

Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....

, Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

, Derry

Derry

Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...

and Newry

Newry

Newry is a city in Northern Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, formed the historic border between County Armagh and County Down. It is from Belfast and from Dublin. Newry had a population of 27,433 at the 2001 Census, while Newry and Mourne Council Area had a population...

, share taxi services operate using Hackney carriage

Hackney carriage

A hackney or hackney carriage is a carriage or automobile for hire...

s. These services developed during The Troubles

The Troubles

The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...

as public bus services were often interrupted due to street rioting. Taxi collectives are closely linked with political groups - those operating in Catholic areas with Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...

, those in Protestant areas with loyalist

Ulster loyalism

Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...

paramilitaries and their political wings.

Typically, fares approximate to those of Translink

Translink (Northern Ireland)

Translink is the brand name of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company , a public corporation in Northern Ireland which provides the public transport in the region. NI Railways, Ulsterbus and Metro are all part of Translink....

operated bus services on the same route. Service frequencies are typically higher than on bus services, especially at peak times, although limited capacities mean that passengers living close to the termini may find it difficult to find a black taxi with seats available in the rush hour

Rush hour

A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...

Bush taxi (West and Central Africa)

Three main vehicle types are used as bush taxis (French taxi brousse, Mandinka tanka tanka): the station wagon

Station wagon

, the minibus

Bus

, and the lorry

Truck

A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...

. Many are previously owned vehicles imported from Europe or Japan; others are assembled from parts in regional centres such as Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

or Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

. The original seating of the vehicles is usually stripped out in order to fit benches with more passenger space. In addition, more people generally sit on each bench than would be the case in more-developed countries. They are often in poor condition, though wealthier countries tend to have better-maintained vehicles.

In the past, most station-wagon bush taxis were modified 1980s-model Peugeot 504

Peugeot 504

The Peugeot 504 is a large family car manufactured by French automaker Peugeot between 1968 and 1983, with licensed production continuing until 2006.-1968 — introduction:...

s. In some countries they are known as "five-seaters" or "seven-seaters" (French sept-place), but in fact, they may seat nine passengers or more in three rows of seats. Other models, such as the Peugeot 505

Peugeot 505

The Peugeot 505 is a large family car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1979 to 1992 in Sochaux, France. The 505 was Peugeot's last rear-wheel drive car...

or the Toyota Corolla

Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact and compact cars manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout the world since the nameplate was first introduced in 1966. In 1997, the Corolla became the best selling nameplate in the world, with over 35 million...

have since supplanted the 504 in some countries, and are gaining ground in others.

Typically two passengers are seated on the front seat next to the driver, and four passengers in each of the two back rows. Sometimes, in particular on less-frequented routes, bush taxis are more crowded, and passengers might even sit on the roof or the boot. Bush taxis in wealthier countries tend to be less crowded. For example, in Nigeria bush taxis (of both the station wagon or minibus type) are called three-across or four-across according to the number of passengers seated in each row.

The minibus (a van

Van

A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...

-like vehicle seating 12 to 20 passengers; French minicar) is quickly becoming the most common type of bush taxi in West and Central Africa, especially for longer trips. Due to the vehicles' larger size, drivers often employ a helper who rides in the back of the vehicle and tells the driver when to stop to let people off, and helps load and unload baggage. Minibuses tend to travel slower than cars, and they take longer to fill up and to pass through police checkpoints. These vehicles generally charge more than standard buses but less than Peugeot-type bush taxis. Frequently used models in West-Africa are the Renault

Renault

Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...

Goelette, the Saviem

Saviem

Saviem is a French manufacturer of trucks and buses and a part of the Renault group...

Super Goelette 2, and the Isuzu Kitamura

Kitamura

Kitamura may refer to :* Kita, Hokkaidō , a village located in Sorachi District, Sorachi, Japan* Kitamura Tokoku , the pen name of a poet, essayist and one of the founders of the modern Japanese romantic literary movement in late Meiji period Japan* Akiko Kitamura , a Japanese figure skater* Eiji...

minibus. The Goelette is also used frequently in Vietnam and Madagascar as a share taxi.

Lorries are also used as bush taxis (French bâché): they are normal lorries (trucks) with benches along the sides of the bed for passengers. There is often a cover for the bed as well. Lorries are more robustly made (and give a rougher ride) than purpose-built passenger vehicles; routes over worse roads and to more remote areas are often serviced by lorries.

Carro Público

Carros Públicos (literally "Public Cars") are share taxis in the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...

and Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

Dominican Republic

In the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

, these privately owned vehicles run fixed routes with no designated stops, and the ride is shared with other passengers.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada advises against traveling in Dominican Republic carros públicos because doing so makes passengers targets for robbery, and because the taxis are known to, "disregard traffic laws, often resulting in serious accidents involving injuries and sometimes death." The US Department of State also warns that using them is hazardous, as passengers often have their pockets picked, and are sometimes robbed by the drivers themselves.

Puerto Rico

In Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

, carros públicos ply set routes with several passengers sharing the ride and others picked up throughout the journey.

The industry is regulated

Regulation

by the Puerto Rico Public Service Commission

Puerto Rico Public Service Commission

The Puerto Rico Public Service Commission is one of Puerto Rico's oldest regulatory bodies whose jurisdiction has changed over the years.The PSC currently regulates the retail sale of natural gas, used primarily for cooking in Puerto Rico. It also regulates trucking and "público" cars, or jitneys,...

.

While these cars do travel inter-city, they may not be available for longer, cross-island travel. Stations may exist in cities, and Puerto Rican carros públicos may congregate in specific places around town.

Coaster bus (Rwanda)

Minibus public transports in Rwanda

Rwanda

Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...

may be called coaster buses, share taxis, or twegerane. The latter could easily be a word meaning "stuffed" or "full".

As of 2011 in Kigali

Kigali

Kigali, population 965,398 , is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is situated near the geographic centre of the nation, and has been the economic, cultural, and transport hub of Rwanda since it became capital at independence in 1962. The main residence and offices of the President of...

, Rwanda, syndicates include ATRACO and ONATRACOM, but an independent transport authority is absent.

Colectivo

Colectivos operated as share taxis from the late 1920s until the 1950s in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...

, Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

when they were integrated into the public transportation system. Vehicles still known as colectivos operate throughout the country, but have long been indistinguishable from busses.

Dala dala (Tanzania)

Minivan

Minivan is a type of van designed for personal use. Minivans are typically either two-box or one box designs for maximum interior volume – and are taller than a sedan, hatchback, or a station wagon....

s (minibuses may be a more-correct term here) are used as vehicles for hire and referred to as dala dala in Tanzania

Tanzania

The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

. While dala dala may run fixed routes picking up passengers at central locations, they will also stop along the route to drop someone off or allow a prospective passenger to board. Before minibuses became widely used, the typical dala dala was a pick-up truck

Pick-Up Truck

"Pick-Up Truck" is a song written and recorded by Belgian acid house musician Praga Khan. It is the third single from Praga's eighth studio album, Soundscraper....

with benches placed in the truck bed.

In Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...

, publicly operated minibus service may also exist as of 2008.

Usually run by both a driver and a conductor, the latter is called a mpigadebe. Literally meaning "a person who hits a debe" (a 4 gallon tin container used for transporting gasoline or water), the name is in reference to the fact that conductors are often hitting the roof and side of the van to attract customers and notify the driver when to leave the station.

Syndicates

These often-crowded public transports have their routes allocated by a Tanzania transport regulator

Regulator (economics)

Economic regulators are usually the agencies established by central government for the control of or intervention in the operation of markets, according to public interest principles and criteria....

, Surface and Marine
Transport Regulatory Authority (SUMATRA), but syndicates also exist and include DARCOBOA.

Danfo (Nigeria)

In Nigeria

Nigeria

, both minibuses (called danfo) and midibus

Midibus

A midibus is a classification of single-decker minibuses which generally are larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between and long...

es (molue) may be operated as share taxis. Such public transports may also be referred to as bolekaja, and many may bear slogan

Slogan

A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...

s or saying

Saying

A saying is something that is said, notable in one respect or another, to be "a pithy expression of wisdom or truth."There are a number of specific types of saying:...

s.

As Lagos

Lagos

Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...

, Nigeria, has a transport-dedicated regulator

Regulator (economics)

Economic regulators are usually the agencies established by central government for the control of or intervention in the operation of markets, according to public interest principles and criteria....

, Lagos Metropolitan
Area Transport Agency (LAMATA), its remit most probably includes share taxi activity.

Syndicates in Lagos

Lagos

may include NURTW.

Dolmuş (Turkey, Turkish-controlled Cyprus)

In Turkey and Turkish controlled, Northern Cyprus

Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

dolmuş are share taxis that run on set routes within and between cities. Each of these cars or minibuses displays their particular route on signboards behind the windscreen.

Some cities may only allow dolmuş to pick-up and disembark passengers at designated stops, and terminals also exist. The word derives from Turkish

Turkish language

Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...

for "full" or "stuffed", as these share taxis depart from the terminal only when a sufficient amount of passengers have boarded.

Westerners may be surprised by the speed of dolmuş travel.

These share taxis are also found in Turkish-controlled, Northern Cyprus

Cyprus

under the same name. Traveling intra and inter-city, the privately owned minibuses or aging Mercedes stretch limos are overseen by a governance institution; routes are leased and vehicles, licensed. Passengers board anywhere along the route (you may have to get the driver to stop if he doesn't honk at you) as well as at termini and official stations. Dolmuş in Turkish-controlled, Northern Cyprus display their routes but don't follow timetables. Instead, they simply appear frequently.

Fula fula (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Those in Kinshasa

Kinshasa

Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....

, DRC

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...

, (or perhaps just the Kongo people

Kongo people

The Bakongo or the Kongo people , also sometimes referred to as Kongolese or Congolese, is a Bantu ethnic group which lives along the Atlantic coast of Africa from Pointe-Noire to Luanda, Angola...

, instead) may call share taxis fula fula meaning "quick quick".

There was no independent transport authority in this city as of 2008.

Gbaka (Côte d'Ivoire)

In Côte d'Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire

The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...

, gbaka are a name for minibus public transports.

The transport regulator

Regulator (economics)

Economic regulators are usually the agencies established by central government for the control of or intervention in the operation of markets, according to public interest principles and criteria....

in Abidjan

Abidjan

Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...

, CI, is Agence de Gestion des Transports Urbains or AGETU.

As of 2008, Abidjan public transport was serviced by large buses as well as minibuses.

Syndicates include UPETCA, SNTMVCI.

Jeepney (Philippines)

The most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines as of 2007, jeepneys were originally made out of US military jeep

Willys MB

The Willys MB US Army Jeep and the Ford GPW, were manufactured from 1941 to 1945. These small four-wheel drive utility vehicles are considered the iconic World War II Jeep, and inspired many similar light utility vehicles. Over the years, the World War II Jeep later evolved into the "CJ" civilian...

s left over from World War II and are known for their color and flamboyant decoration.

In contrast to their African share taxi brethren, jeepneys are often conversion vehicles, as Filipinos are not content to extemporaneously place a picture of a deity, mortal or no, on a bondo

Bondo (putty)

Bondo is a brand of two-part putty manufactured by 3M. Originally used mainly for automobile body repair, Bondo has been widely used by carpenters to repair wood. The Bondo brand of filler or putty is composed of a polyester resin that, when mixed with a hardener or catalyst, turns into a putty...

-splattered minibus and then pack it with passengers. They have not changed much since their post-war creation even in the face of an increased access to pre-made vehicles, such as minibuses.

Preferring to only leave when full and only stop for a crowd of potential passengers, riders can disembark at any time, however. And while jeepneys ply fixed routes, these may be subject to change over time. New ones may need approval from a Philippine transport regulator

Regulator (economics)

Economic regulators are usually the agencies established by central government for the control of or intervention in the operation of markets, according to public interest principles and criteria....

. Jeepney stations do exist.

Jitney (US and Canada)

A jitney is a North American English term that originally referred to a vehicle for hire

Vehicle for hire

intermediate between a taxi and a bus. They are generally a small-capacity vehicles that follow a rough service route, but can go slightly out of its way to pick up and drop off passengers. In many US cities (e.g. Pittsburgh and Detroit), the term jitney refers to an unlicensed taxi cab.

The name comes from an archaic, colloquial term for a five-cent piece in the US (the nickel

Nickel (United States coin)

The nickel is a five-cent coin, representing a unit of currency equaling five hundredths of one United States dollar. A later-produced Canadian nickel five-cent coin was also called by the same name....

). The common fare for the service when it first came into use was five cents, so the "five-cent cab" or "jitney cab" came to be known for the price charged.

In Rhode Island a jitney license plate is used for all public passenger buses, even for larger ones.

While jitneys became fairly common in many other countries, such as the Philippines, they first appeared in the US and Canada. The first US jitneys ran in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

in 1914. By 1915, there were 62,000 nationwide. Local regulations, demanded by streetcar companies, killed the jitney in most places. By the end of 1916, only 6,000 jitneys remained. Similarly, in Vancouver, Canada, in the 1920s, jitneys competed directly with the streetcar monopoly operating along the same routes as the streetcars but charging lower fares. Operators were referred to as "jitney men." They were so successful that the city government banned them at the request of the streetcar operators.

Since the 1973 oil crisis

1973 oil crisis

The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...

(as well as the mid-20th-century decline in transit service), jitneys have reappeared in some areas of the US, particularly in inner city

Inner city

The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...

areas once served by streetcars and private buses. An increase in bus fares usually leads to a significant rise in jitney usage. Liberalization of jitneys is often encouraged by libertarian urban economists, such as University of Chicago

University of Chicago

The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...

's Richard Epstein, Rutgers' James Dunn

James Dunn

James Dunn, Jim Dunn or Jimmy Dunn may refer to:James Dunn:*James Dunn , an actor who performed in Bad Girl and A Tree Grows In Brooklyn*James Dunn , Australian Senator...

, and USC's Peter Gordon

Peter Gordon

Peter Gordon may refer to:* Peter Gordon , celebrity chef from New Zealand* Peter Gordon , composer and musician based in New York City* Peter Gordon , radio presenter in Surrey, England...

, as a more "market-friendly" alternative to public transportation. Concerns over fares, insurance liabilities, and passenger safety have kept legislative support for jitneys decidedly tepid. Nevertheless, in New York City and northern New Jersey

Gateway Region

The Gateway Region is located in the northeastern part of State of New Jersey in the United States of America. The area encompasses Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Union and Middlesex counties...

, jitneys (known as "dollar van

Dollar Van

A dollar van is a privately owned type of bus service used to carry passengers in the United States of America. Dollar vans typically operate in neighborhoods within urban areas that are under-served by public mass transit or taxis. Some of the dollar vans are licensed and regulated, while others...

s" because of their original price (compare earlier "jitney") or guaguas in Spanish) are regulated and remain popular especially outside of Manhattan

Manhattan

Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

.

Miami has the country's most comprehensive jitney network, due to Caribbean influence.

In Atlantic City the ACJA

Atlantic City Jitney Association

The Atlantic City Jitney Association is an association of operators of minibus service in Atlantic City, New Jersey, providing service at all times on 3 fixed routes, daytime service on a fourth fixed route, and bus-to-rail connections from the Atlantic City Rail Terminal, providing connections to...

operates a jitney service that travels the main strip of casinos. One of the routes also services the new cluster of casinos west of Atlantic City proper.

Kia kia (Yorùbáland)

The term kia kia may be used in Yorùbáland

Yorùbáland

Yorubaland, or Yorùbáland , is a cultural region in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo that includes the indigenous territory and cultural reach of the Yoruba people.- History :-Settlement:Oduduwa is regarded as the legendary progenitor of the Yoruba...

to refer to minibus public transports, and means "quick quick".

Liinitakso (Estonia)

Share taxis in Estonia are mostly found in Tallinn

Tallinn

Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...

, the capital. Called liinitakso, marsruuttakso, taksobuss, mikroautobuss, or maršrutinis depending on the language spoken, these minibuses run fixed routes and allow passengers to disembark at any time.

Louage (Tunisia)

Share taxis in Tunisia

Tunisia

Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...

are called louage and follow fixed or semi-fixed routes, departing from stations when full. Usually minibuses or compact cars, although some louage are station wagons, passengers may board and disembark at any point during travel.

They run between towns and within cities.

Marshrutka (Russia and the Republics of the Former Soviet Union)

Marshrutka or marshrutnoe taksi are share taxis found in Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...

and Russia. Usually vans, they drive along set routes, only depart when all seats are filled, and may have higher fares than buses. Passengers can board a marshrutka anywhere along its route if there are seats available.

As fares are usually paid before the marshrutka leaves, which seat you choose can have consequences. Riders nearer the driver are responsible for handing up the other passengers' fares and passing back change.

Mashrū` (Egypt)

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

ian share cabs are generally known as masharī`, ( (singular mashrū` ) meaning literally "project" or "planned"; the name may be a phono-semantic match

Phono-semantic matching

Phono-semantic matching is a linguistic term referring to camouflaged borrowing in which a foreign word is matched with a phonetically and semantically similar pre-existent native word/root....

from marshrutka, particularly given Egypt's Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

ties to the Soviet Union.

Masharī` are licensed by each governorate

Governorates of Egypt

Egypt is divided for administrative purposes into 27 governorates . Egyptian governorates are the top tier of the country's five-tier jurisdiction hierarchy. A governorate is administered by a governor, who is appointed by the President of Egypt and serves at the president's discretion...

as taxicabs, and are generally operated privately by their drivers. Although each governorate attempts to maintain a consistent paint scheme for them, in practice the color of masharī` varies wildly, as the "consistent" schemes have changed from time to time and many drivers have not bothered to repaint their cars.

Rates vary depending on distance traveled, although these rates are generally well known to those riding the mashrū`. The fares also depend on the city. Riders can typically hail masharī` from any point along the route, often with well-established hand signals indicating the prospective rider's destination, although certain areas tend to be well-known mashrū` stops.

Like the Eastern European marshrutka, a typical mashrū` is a large van

Van

, most often a Toyota HiAce

Toyota Hiace

The Toyota HiAce is a motor vehicle produced by the Japanese manufacturer Toyota. First launched in 1967, the HiAce has since been available in a wide range of configurations, including minivan and minibus, van, pick-up, taxi, and ambulance....

or its Jinbei

Jinbei (car)

Jinbei is a car brand name of Brilliance Jinbei Automobile Co., Ltd., in Shenyang/Liaoning China, it is a subsidiary of Brilliance China Auto .-Products:...

equivalent, the Haise, and the latter is produced by the Bavarian Auto Manufacturing Group

Bavarian Auto Group

The Bavarian Auto Group is an Egyptian enterprise for manufacturing and selling BMW vehicles on the local market. It was founded by BMW in March 2003 as a competitor to the MB joint-venture Egyptian German Automotive Company within a joint-venture between the minister Ali El-Saiedi and the BMW...

in 6th of October City in Egypt. Smaller vans and larger small buses are also used.

Maršrutinis taksi (Lithuania)

In Lithuania

Lithuania

Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...

, share taxis are called maršrutinis taksi, mikruškė, mikriukas or maršrutinis.

Matatu (Kenya, Uganda)

In Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

and neighboring nations matatu are privately owned minibuses, although pick-up truck

Pick-Up Truck

"Pick-Up Truck" is a song written and recorded by Belgian acid house musician Praga Khan. It is the third single from Praga's eighth studio album, Soundscraper....

s were in the past pressed into service as these East African public transports whose decoration often features portraits of the famous. Slogans and sayings also appear, some religious. In addition to a driver, matatu may be staffed by a tout, conductor, or porter

Porter (carrier)

A porter, also called a bearer, is a person who shifts objects for others.-Historical meaning:Human adaptability and flexibility early led to the use of humans for shifting gear...

.

They may ply set routes, display this route, run from termini, run both inter and intra-city, and may stop along said route to purchase or collect money from passengers.

As of 1999, matatu could have been the only form of public transport in Nairobi

Nairobi

Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...

, Kenya, but this may not have been the case in 2006 and 2008. As of 2008, Kampala

Kampala

Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...

, Uganda, may only be serviced by minibuses.

The name is a Swahili

Swahili language

Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...

colloquialism, and were it convenient, passengers could even pay for their journeys via cell phone.

Kenyan regulation

In Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

, this industry is regulated

Regulation

, and such minibuses must, by law, be fitted with seatbelts and speed governors. Present regulation may not be sufficient deterrent to prevent small infractions as even decoration may be prohibited. Kenya has one of the "most extensive regulatory controls to market entry", and a matatu worker can be pulled from the streets simply for sporting too loud a shirt.

Minibus taxi (Ethiopia)

Minibus taxis in Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...

are one of the most important modes of transport in big cities like Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...

. They are preferred by the majority of the populace over public buses and more-traditional taxicabs because they are generally cheap, operate on diverse routes, and are available in abundance. All minibus taxis in Ethiopia have a standard blue-and-white coloring scheme, much like the yellow color of New York taxis except it isn't yellow. Minibus taxis are usually Toyota Hiace

Toyota Hiace

s, but other makes, including Volkswagen Kombi

Volkswagen Type 2

The Volkswagen Type 2, officially known as the Transporter or Kombi informally as Bus or Camper , was a panel van introduced in 1950 by German automaker Volkswagen as its second car model – following and initially deriving from Volkswagen's first model, the Type 1 , it was given the factory...

s frequent the streets. They typically can carry 11 passengers, but will always have room for another until that is no longer the case. The minibus driver has a crew member called a weyala
Weyala
A weyala is a conductor who receives fares on minibus taxis in Ethiopia. He also has the duty of informing potential passengers of the destination they are heading and the price they need to pay, informing the taxi driver to stop when a passenger wants to disembark...

, and his job is to protect it from heavily armed journalists fresh from Somalia.

In 2008, publicly operated public transport was available in Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...

in addition to that provided by the minibuses. A fleet of 350 large buses may operate for this purpose, as such a number does exist. Also as of 2008, the city lacks an independent transport authority, but some regulation

Regulation

, such as that controlling market entry, does exist.

Route syndicates may be a presence but are described as "various".

Minibus taxi (South Africa)

Over 60% of South African commuters use shared minibus taxis (16 seater commuter buses). Many of these vehicles are unsafe and not roadworthy, and often dangerously overloaded.

Prior to 1987, the taxi industry in South Africa was highly regulated and controlled. Black taxi operators were declined permits in the Apartheid era and all minibus taxi operations were, by their very nature, illegal.

Post 1987, the industry was rapidly deregulated, leading to an influx of new minibus taxi operators, keen to make money off the high demand for this service. Taxi operators banded together to form local and national associations. Because the industry was largely unregulated and the official regulating bodies corrupt, these associations soon engaged in anti-competitive price fixing

Price fixing

Price fixing is an agreement between participants on the same side in a market to buy or sell a product, service, or commodity only at a fixed price, or maintain the market conditions such that the price is maintained at a given level by controlling supply and demand...

and exhibited gangster tactics - including the hiring of hit-men and all-out gang warfare. During the height of the conflict, it was not uncommon for taxi drivers to carry shotguns and AK-47's to simply shoot rival taxi drivers and their passengers on sight.

Currently the South African Government is attempting to formalize and re-regulate the out-of-control minibus taxi industry. Along with new legislation, the government has instituted a 7-year recapitalization scheme to replace the old and unroadworthy vehicles with new 18 and 35-seater minibuses. These new minibus taxis carry the South African flag on the side and are notably more spacious and safe.

Public light bus (Hong Kong)

Public light buses , also known as minibus or maxicab , run the length and breadth of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, through areas which the standard bus lines cannot or do not reach as frequently, quickly or directly.

Typically offering a faster and more efficient transportation solution due to their small size, limited carrying capacity, frequency and diverse range of routes, although they are generally slightly more expensive than standard buses, minibuses carry a maximum of 16 seated passengers. Standing passengers are allowed.

There are two types of public light minibus, green and red. Both types have a cream coloured body, the distinguishing feature being the colour of the external roof, and the type of service that the colour denotes: green for continuous service (regardless of number of passengers) and generally salaried drivers; red is more like a shared taxi, with the driver waiting for enough passengers to justify leaving, as his income depends on the revenue.

Ruletero (Guatemala)

In Guatemala, ruleteros, minibus share taxis, pick up and discharge passengers along major streets.

Service taxi (Cyprus)

In Cyprus

Cyprus

, there are privately owned share taxis that travel to set destinations and board additional passengers en route.

Shared taxi and shared jeep (India)

Shared taxis–and they are known by that exact name–have been operating in Mumbai, India, since the early 1970s. These are more like a point-to-point service that operates only during the peak hours than other share taxis. During off-peak hours, they ply just like the regular taxis; they can be hailed anywhere on the roads, and passengers are charged by the meter.

But during peak hours several of them will operate as shared taxis, taking a full cab load of passengers to a more or less common destination. The pick-up points for these taxis are fixed, and are marked by a sign saying "shared taxis" and the cabs will line up at this point during peak hours.

They display the general destination they are headed for on their windscreens, and passengers just get in and wait for the cab to fill up. As soon as this happens–which takes less than a few minutes–the cab moves off. Fares are a fixed amount and are far lower than the metered fare to the same destination but higher than a bus or train fare.

Quicker than buses, these taxis are also popular for their greater comfort and the absence of the crush people that typifies rush hour

Rush hour

commuter traffic in buses and trains.

Share jeeps are a common form of transportation in the Himalayas, the North Eastern States and elsewhere.

Sherut (Israel)

Sherut (pl. moniot sherut) is a Hebrew word meaning "service". Also referring to vans that serve as share taxis in Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

, these can be picked up from sherut stations. They follow fixed routes (sometimes the same routes as public transport

Public transport

Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...

buses), leave when full, and will only disembark passengers along the route. Moniyot sherut operate both inter and intra-city. Payment is done by passing money to the driver in a "human chain" formed by the passengers seated before. The change (and the receipt, when requested) are returned to the person who paid by the same means. When most or some seats are vacant, the driver usually travels slower and honks the horn to attract the attention of potential passengers on the sidewalk. In intra-city routes, where they compete with official buses, the drivers usually coordinate their travel by radio so that they can arrive at the bus station just before public transport buses and take the most passengers.

Called "ser-vees" (service taxi) by Palestinians, in the West Bank

West Bank

The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...

vans are replaced by minibuses, aging Mercedes sedans, etc.

Shuttle bus or van

Shared buses or vans are available in many more developed countries connecting frequent destinations, charging a fixed fee per passenger. The most common case is a connection between an airport and central city locations. These services are often known as shuttles. Such services usually use smaller vehicles than normal buses, and often operate on demand. An air traveller can contact the shuttle company by telephone or Internet

Internet

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

, not necessarily in advance; the company will ensure that a shuttle is provided without unreasonable delay. The shuttle will typically connect one airport with several large hotels, or addresses in a specified area of the city. The shuttle offers much of the convenience of a taxi, although taking longer, at a price which is significantly lower for one or two passengers. Scheduled services between an airport and a hotel, usually operated by the hotel, are also called shuttles.

In many cases the shuttle operator takes the risk of there not being enough passengers to make the trip profitable; in others there is a minimum charge when there are not enough passengers.

Usually there are regulations covering vehicles and drivers; for example in New Zealand under NZTA regulations, shuttles are only allowed to have up to eleven passenger seats, and the driver must have a passenger endorsement (P) on their drivers licence.

Songthaew (Thailand)

Literally "two rows" a songthaew or song thaew (Thai สองแถว, Lao: ສອງແຖວ [sɔ̌ːŋtʰíw]) is a passenger vehicle in Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

and Laos

Laos

Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...

adapted from a pick-up or a larger truck and used as a share taxi. They are also known as baht buses.

Sotrama, dourouni (Mali)

In Mali

Mali

Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...

, at least two words for share taxi may have common currency sotrama and dourouni.

As of 2008, Bamako

Bamako

Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...

, Mali, has no independent transport authority, but share taxi activity could fall under regulator

Regulator (economics)

Economic regulators are usually the agencies established by central government for the control of or intervention in the operation of markets, according to public interest principles and criteria....

Direction de la régulation et du contrôle du transport urbain (municipal) or DRCTU control.

Tap tap, publiques (Haiti)

Tap taps, gaily painted buses or pick-up truck

Pick-Up Truck

"Pick-Up Truck" is a song written and recorded by Belgian acid house musician Praga Khan. It is the third single from Praga's eighth studio album, Soundscraper....

s, and publiques, usually older saloon cars, serve as share taxis in Haiti

Haiti

Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

.

Tap taps are privately owned and beautifully decorated. They follow fixed routes; won't leave until filled with passengers; and many feature wild colors, portraits of famous people, and intricate, hand-cut wooden window covers. Often they are painted with religious names or slogans. Riders can disembark at any point in the journey. Their name refers to "fast motion".

The publiques operate on fixed routes and pick up additional passengers all along the way.

While saying not to use any form of public transport in Haiti

Haiti

, the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada advises against tap tap travel especially. The US State Department also warns travelers not to use tap taps, "because they are often overloaded, mechanically unsound, and driven unsafely."

Taxis collectifs (Algeria)

In Algeria

Algeria

Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...

, taxis collectifs ply fixed routes with their destination displayed. Rides are shared with others who are picked up along the way, and initially the taxi won't leave at all until it seats all the passengers it can. While stations, set locations to board and disembark, do exist, prospective passengers flag down a taxis collectifs when they want a ride.

Operating inter and intra-city, taxis collectifs that travel between towns may be called interwilaya taxis.

Along with all forms of public transport in Algeria, the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada recommend against using these share taxis. The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs

Department of Foreign Affairs (Ireland)

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for promoting the interests of Ireland in the European Union and the wider world...

asks that you use taxis recommended by your hotel.

Taxis collectifs (Quebec)

In Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

, share taxis or jitneys are called taxis collectifs (in English "collective taxis") or transport collectif par taxi (which may be translated in English as "taxibus") and are operated by subcontractor

Subcontractor

A subcontractor is an individual or in many cases a business that signs a contract to perform part or all of the obligations of another's contract....

s to the local transit authorities on fixed routes.

In the case of the Montréal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

the fare is the same as local bus fare, but no cash and transfers are issued or accepted; in case of the STL

Société de transport de Laval

Société de transport de Laval is the public transit system in the city of Laval, Quebec, Canada. It was founded in June 1971 as the Commission de transport de la Ville de Laval ...

only bus passes. The Réseau de transport de Longueuil

Réseau de transport de Longueuil

Réseau de transport de Longueuil is a public transit carrier in the city of Longueuil, Quebec, Canada and nearby communities on the South Shore of Montreal...

accepts regular RTL tickets and all RTL and some tram passes.

Taxi colectivo (Latin America)

Often share taxi routes in Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

are ad hoc
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....

arrangements to fill in gaps in regular public transportation, and many operate inter-city as well as local routes. In many rural areas, they are the only public transportation.

In some cases truck/taxi combination vehicles have evolved to transport light goods as well as passengers. Heavily used share taxi routes often evolve into regulated microbus public transit routes, as has occurred in Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...

and in Lima

Lima

Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...

.

Taxis colectivos are also found in Perú

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

, Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

, Guatemala

Guatemala

Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...

, and Argentina

Argentina

, where they are most commonly referred to simply as colectivos, although in some places they have become essentially standard buses.

Treintaxi (Netherlands)

Besides the conventional deeltaxi, there are treintaxis in most major Dutch

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

towns. Operated on behalf of the Netherlands Railways, they run to and from railway stations and the ride is shared with additional passengers picked up along the way. Tickets can be purchased at railway ticket offices or from the cabdriver, but treintaxis must be ordered by phone unless boarding at a railway station.

Tro tro (Ghana)

In Ghana

Ghana

Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...

and neighboring countries, tro tro are privately owned minibus vehicles for hire

Vehicle for hire

that travel fixed routes leaving when filled to capacity. While there are tro tro stations, these share taxis can also be boarded anywhere along the route.

Operated by a driver and a conductor, who collects money, shouts out the destination, and is called a "mate", many are decorated with slogan

Slogan

s and saying

Saying

A saying is something that is said, notable in one respect or another, to be "a pithy expression of wisdom or truth."There are a number of specific types of saying:...

s, often religious, and few operate on Sundays.

As of 2008, there is no independent transport authority in Accra

Accra

Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...

, Ghana, and the share taxi industry may be wholly unregulated.

A popular means of transport

Used by 70% of Ghanaian commuters, tro tro are the most popular form of transport for work and shopping in the country as of 2010. This popularity may be because in cities such as Accra

Accra

have no public transportation system save for these small minibuses.

Large buses also provide public transport in Accra, as of 2008, but may be less popular.

Syndicates

An informal means of transportation, in Ghana

Ghana

they are licensed by the government, but the industry is self-regulated

Regulation

. In Accra

Accra

, syndicates include GPRTU and PROTOA.

Name unknown (Cameroon)

Share taxis do exist in Cameroon

Cameroon

Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...

, but as of 2008 minibuses cannot be used for this purpose, by law. That same year, Douala

Douala

Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Province. Home to Cameroon's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Airport, it is the commercial capital of the country...

, Cameroon, also was without an independent transport authority.

Name unknown (Burkina Faso)

In Ouagadougou

Ouagadougou

Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...

, capital of Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...

, the share taxi role is not filled by the traditional African minibus.

Modern technology-based services

Paratransit

Modern Paratransit

Paratransit

Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....

services, also known as demand responsive transport

Demand responsive transport

Demand Responsive Transport or Demand-Responsive Transit or Demand Responsive Service or Dial-a-ride or Flexible Transport Services is "an advanced, user-oriented form of public transport characterised by flexible routing and scheduling of small/medium vehicles operating in shared-ride mode...

systems in the UK, can provide shared transport services in situations where scheduled services are not viable. Traditionally these services had to be booked a day in advance, but are becoming increasingly responsive using modern communications systems with a central booking system accessed by phone or internet and instant communications with GPS tracked vehicles. Unlike scheduled services the vehicles need not operate on fixed routes of timetables, although they do often have constrained routes.

Commercial shared taxis booking services

Some newer taxi share systems now use internet and mobile phone communications for booking and scheduling purposes, with the actual service provided by normal hackney carriage

Hackney carriage

A hackney or hackney carriage is a carriage or automobile for hire...

or Private Hire vehicles. Prospective passengers make bookings and supply destination details using SMS to a central server which aggregates these travel requests and creates packages of trips which are then communicated to drivers.

Commercially operated airport shuttle buses

There are many operators of airport shuttle services between Airports and Hotels around the world that operate on flexible routing and timing to offer a service that is both cheaper than a sole-occupancy taxi and also often more convenient that other forms of public transport. The requirement to carry luggage offers an added incentive to use such services over scheduled transport which will normally require a walk from the drop-off location to the final destination. Services from these operators are starting to spread from airports to railway stations and to other locations.

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