For decades, taxis were the undisputed backbone of urban transportation in Sierra Leone, predominantly in the capital, Freetown.
Painted in the familiar yellow, shared taxis connected communities from Lumley to PZ, Shell to Up-gun, carrying workers, traders and students across the city.
Today, however, the once-dominant taxi has largely retreated to inter-district and long-distance travel, overtaken in daily urban life by the rapid rise of commercial tricycles, popularly known as kekes.
The emergence of kekes has fundamentally altered how Sierra Leoneans move within cities.
Introduced less than a decade ago, the three-wheeled vehicles have quickly become the preferred mode of transport for thousands of commuters, reshaping mobility, employment and informal enterprise across Freetown and other major district headquarter towns.
A commuter’s choice
For many city residents, the shift from taxis to kekes has been driven by convenience rather than sentiment.
A regular commuter, Akmad Lul Kabia, who travels daily from St. John to Rawdon Street, says taxis are no longer dependable for short-distance travel.
“Before, you could stand on the roadside for a long time waiting for a taxi to fill up. Now, when you need to enter and move quickly, a keke will stop immediately and take you straight to your destination,” he explains.
Kekes operate without fixed routes, allowing them to navigate narrow streets, steep hills and informal settlements where taxis often struggle.
In a city plagued by congestion and limited road space, their small size and manoeuvrability give them a clear advantage.
From survival to livelihood
For the riders themselves, keke riding has become more than a transport service; they see it as a means of survival.
At a busy keke park at Dwazark Junction, rider Abdul Rahman Conteh says the business has sustained his household since he lost his job three years ago.
“This keke feeds my family. If I work hard, I can pay my ‘master money’ [daily balance] and still take something home.”
Thousands of young men, many of them previously unemployed, have found steady income in the sector.
While riders often complain about high fuel costs, daily rentals and police checks, most agree that the trade remains more profitable and accessible than traditional taxi driving, which requires higher capital investment and maintenance.
The business behind the boom
Behind the scenes, the rapid spread of kekes has created a thriving supply chain.
Importers, spare-parts dealers, mechanics and fuel sellers have all benefited from the expansion of the tricycle market.
A keke supplier and businessman, Alhaji Mohamed Bah, says demand continues to grow despite economic challenges.
According to him, kekes are cheaper to acquire than conventional taxis and easier to maintain, making them attractive to small-scale investors.
“Many people who could never afford a car can now own a keke. Some buy one, others buy five or ten and rent them out. It has become a business of its own.”
This affordability has lowered the entry barrier into commercial transport, allowing informal entrepreneurs to participate in an industry once dominated by taxi owners with big capital.
Driving the future
While traditional fuel-powered kekes dominate Freetown’s streets, a new wave of innovation is quietly shaping the future of urban mobility.
Emmanuella Sandy, a pioneering importer of electric kekes from China, is at the forefront of this transformation.
She explains that electric kekes offer reduced fuel costs as well as lower emissions, addressing both economic and environmental challenges.
“Freetown needs sustainable transport solutions. Electric kekes are quieter, cheaper to operate, and can help reduce the city’s pollution while still serving commuters efficiently,” she mentions.
Her business has sparked interest among entrepreneurs seeking affordable alternatives to conventional vehicles.
By introducing electric kekes, Emmanuella is not only expanding the commercial transport market but also positioning Sierra Leone to embrace cleaner, greener urban mobility.
Taxis pushed to the margins
As kekes gained ground, taxi drivers began to feel the impact. Many complain that passengers now prefer tricycles for short trips, leaving taxis to rely mainly on longer routes and inter-district travel.
A former taxi driver, Mohamed Suma, says he eventually sold his taxi and joined the keke business after his daily earnings declined sharply.
He attributes the downturn to traffic congestion, extra litres of fuel and competition from tricycles that reach passengers faster.
“People don’t want to wait anymore or open doors. Kekes come to them and they easily enter,” Mohamed says.
While taxis remain relevant for longer distances and group travel, their dominance in inner-city transport has undeniably waned.
Economic impact and wider significance
Economists argue that the rise of kekes shows both economic necessity and innovation.
An economist based in Freetown, Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim Ganawah, says the sector plays a critical role in employment creation and income distribution.
“Kekes absorb a large number of young people into productive activity. They contribute to household income, generate government revenue through licensing, and support multiple informal businesses,” he notes.
According to Dr. Ganawah, while the sector remains largely informal, its economic contribution is huge and should be recognised in urban transport planning.
He adds that proper regulation could push safety, improve earnings and integrate kekes into a broader public transport framework.
A transformed transport landscape
Despite concerns about safety, traffic discipline and regulation, kekes have become an inseparable part of Sierra Leone’s urban identity.
Their rapid acceptance underlines a broader shift in how city residents prioritise speed, access and affordability over tradition.
Once symbols of convenience, taxis now share the road with a new generation of vehicles that better indicate the realities of modern urban life.
In the contest for the streets of Freetown, three wheels have proven more adaptable than four.
