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Mid-century Peugeot 404 and 504s, some almost 70 years old, are still in use as taxis in the town of Harar, Ethiopia.
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High import taxes have made importing newer, more efficient cars prohibitively expensive for most Ethiopians.
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“Everyone is driving nowadays – there are so, so many traffic jams. We have a lot of air pollution. I’m a car importer, but importing more cars isn’t the answer.” – Peter Oisebe, used car dealer.
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Matatus/minibuses in the central business district of Nairobi. The used vehicles are imported and then modified once in Kenya, where mechanics add extra seats and remove the catalytic converter.
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A queue of minibuses, commonly referred to as matatus in Kenya, wait for passengers.
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“An average guy like me can’t afford to buy a new vehicle. The only thing we can do is maintain the vehicle properly.” - Peter Karanja Njuguna, matatu/minibus driver.
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John Mwangi’s 22-year-old Toyota, which the 34 year old Kenyan uses to buy and sell produce in the capital city of Nairobi.
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For him the used vehicle is an economic lifeline, allowing him to run his own business and work on his own terms.