Louage

A louage is a minibus share taxi in Tunisia.[1] In French, the name means "rental." Departing only when filled with passengers not at specific times, they can be hired at stations.[2] Louage ply set routes,[3] and fares are set by the government.[4]

Often white, some louage are yellow like this one seen driving through El Mourouj, Tunis, in 2012.

In contrast to other share taxis in Africa, louage are sparsely decorated. These white vans sport a single colored stripe that alerts potential passengers to the type of transport they offer.[3] Red-striped vans travel between major cities while those with yellow stripes ply routes with more bucolic stops.[2] Blue-striped louage can also be seen.[2] Small placards atop the vans specify either a van's exact destination[3] or the town in which it is registered.[4] In 2014, a one and a half hour trip cost about US$2,[1] and an intra-city journey, approximately US$1.[5]

At some louage stations, tickets can be purchased at a booth and given to the driver,[4] although c. 2011 this practice was rarely followed.[3]

Prior to the introduction of vans, French-made station wagons were used as louage.[4]

References
  1. Hugh Sykes (2 November 2014). From our Own Correspondent: Appearance and Reality (Audio). BBC. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  2. Zaafrani, Omar (January 17, 2009). "The Tunisian louage is a vehicle of a different stripe". thenational.ae. The National. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  3. Haley, Sean (14 September 2011). "Our Guide to Traveling by Louage". tunisia-live.net. Tunisia Live. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  4. Donna Wheeler, Paul Clammer, Emilie Filou (2010). Tunisia. Lonely Planet. pp. 304-305. ISBN 9781741790016. louage tunisia regulation.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. Stevenson, John. "Bizerte: Tunisia's Secret Tourism Weapon: Framed by Wide Sandy Beaches Dotted by Unimposing Resorts, Bizerte, Tunisia's Northernmost City, Offers an Unrivalled Quaintness, Surpassing the Country's More Tourism Centred Destinations." The Middle East. IC Publications Ltd. 2014. HighBeam Research. 13 Dec. 2014


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