Vehicles

1. መኪና

   mekina

   Car

   Usage

   Any car — works for both taxis and private cars

2. ባጃጅ

   bajaj

   Bajaj (auto rickshaw)

   Usage

   Named after the Indian maker Bajaj — the workhorse of regional towns. Always agree a price first

3. ሚኒባስ

   minibus

   Minibus

   Usage

   The backbone of getting around Addis — a conductor shouts the destination, so just call out your stop

4. አውቶቡስ

   awtobus

   Bus

   Usage

   Full-size city bus — cheaper than a minibus but less frequent

5. አንበሳ አውቶቡስ

   anbesa awtobus

   Anbessa city bus

   Usage

   Addis Ababa's municipal bus company — "anbessa" means lion. Look for the red buses

6. ቀላል ባቡር

   kelal babur

   Light rail

   Usage

   Addis Ababa's elevated light rail — two lines, north-south and east-west. Beats the traffic

7. ባቡር

   babur

   Train

   Usage

   There is an Addis Ababa to Djibouti passenger line — check the sparse timetable in advance

8. ታክሲ

   taksi

   Taxi

   Usage

   Blue-and-white ones are shared; yellow ones work more like private hire. Agree the fare first

9. ራይድ

   rayd

   Ride (ride-hailing app)

   Usage

   Ethiopia's home-grown ride-hailing app — metered, so no haggling

10. ሞተር ብስክሌት

    moter biskilet

    Motorcycle

    Usage

    Seen in the regions — bring your own helmet

11. ብስክሌት

    biskilet

    Bicycle

    Usage

    Addis is hilly and high — better in lowland towns

12. የጭነት መኪና

    yechinet mekina

    Truck

    Usage

    Long-haul trucks fill the main roads — take care overtaking

13. አምቡላንስ

    ambulans

    Ambulance

    Usage

    Show this in an emergency — response is slow outside cities

14. አውሮፕላን

    awroplan

    Airplane

    Usage

    Domestic flights are extensive — flying in on Ethiopian Airlines discounts the domestic legs

15. ጀልባ

    jelba

    Boat

    Usage

    Used for monastery hopping on Lake Tana

16. መርከብ

    merkeb

    Ship

    Usage

    A larger vessel — Ethiopia is landlocked, so this means lake ferries

17. ጋሪ

    gari

    Gari (horse cart)

    Usage

    A horse cart still used for short hops in regional towns like Bahir Dar and Gondar

18. ኪራይ መኪና

    kiray mekina

    Rental car

    Usage

    Usually rented with a driver — self-drive is uncommon

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