El Salvador’s suicidal bus service

I think it’s fair to say that I’m better qualified than many to know what dangerous public transport really is. I’ve been hurtled the wrong way down a motorway against the oncoming traffic, protected only by the driver blaring his horn. I’ve been flung around whilst overtaking on blind bends over a precipice while the driver talks on his phone. I’ve shot past the flashing lights and wailing siren of an ambulance speeding its way to an accident, because our…

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The Beauty of Bolivian Buses

The city of Cochabamba in Bolivia decided to make public transport a lot more visually stimulating for its people by splashing a load of colourful paintwork all over its buses. You have to wonder why more places don’t try something similar as its a great advert for the place and helps liven up the daily commute.   Using some traditional design ideas brought up to date with modern stylings, the buses are highly distinctive but each driver has added their…

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A truck is never just a truck in Pakistan

The art of commercial vehicle decoration in Pakistan Other than for little boys and peculiar breeds of adult nerds, the appeal of commercial vehicles to the general public rarely transcends the mundane in the West and on the occasions they are customised there is little chance of the owner risking the dents and scratches of commercial use or letting any of the proletariat getting their greasy paws all over the immaculate bodywork, unless it was a trusted mechanic. For Pakistanis…

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