Mali Transportations

Because car ownership is low and formal government-run public transportation is scarce, Malian cities have a plethora of informal buses and taxis. Bamako is recognized for its green and yellow taxi fleet in particular. Other vehicles that can be used as taxis include trucks, buses, motorcycles, and minivans. Small motorcycles, imported from China and majority lacking licenses, have dominated much of Bamako's traffic in recent years. Motorbikes are often the only economical mode of transportation in Mali, with Chinese-made bikes selling for as little as US$700.

While the government requires both motorbikes and their operators to be licensed, these regulations are largely disregarded. In 2009, Mali had an estimated 500,000 motorcycles on the road, with two-thirds of them being cheap Chinese-made "Jakarta" motorcycles, which had greater fuel efficiency but less safety features than more expensive Japanese or Western models.

Bamako prohibited horse carts in the 1990s, which resulted in an increase in the number of hand carts on the streets. Separate lanes for two-wheeled (carts, bicycles, motorbikes), four-wheeled, and pedestrian traffic have been added to recent road building.