WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT WEEK 3
The topic that I chose to research about is the use of public transport In Tanzania. Public
transportation alternatives are limited. You may walk if you like, but cabs are your greatest
chance. The bus is by far the most frequent mode of transportation in Tanzania. It's
inexpensive, but there's no telling how long the travel will take. A number of factors come
into play. There are also matatus, which are a pleasant approach to encounter strangers but
are also longer. They'll squeeze you on, but it's a smart notion to learn your way about town
so you get on the appropriate bus - the paths are set (Debrincat, 2015).
I decided to interview three different people in three different areas of town. I made sure to
choose three people who are different from one and other to get a broader perspective. The
first person I chose was a 48-year-old man who was on his way to work in the posher part of
town. The second person was a 22-year-old woman who was on her way back from college in
the industrial area of town. The last person I chose was a 60-year-old woman who was selling
fruits in the market on the edge of town.
A small sample size like the one I have would not be able to represent the entire population.
You want to poll as many people as necessary since small samples become less reflective of
the total demographic. A limited sample size also can result in partiality, like non-response,
that happens when some individuals are unable to engage in the study. Voluntary response
bias, on the other hand, happens when only a limited portion of non-respondents have the
chance to respond to the survey, generally since they are the sole ones who are aware of it
(Simmons, 2018).
Before I interviewed them, I wrote down questions that I would ask each of them and to make
it easier, I made most of the questions multiple choice so that it was easier for them to
respond and choose the answer that best represents them.
1. How old are you?
2. How long have you lived in Tanzania for?
A. All your life B. 0-10 years C. 10+ years
3. What do you do for a living?
4. How often do you use public transport?
A. All the time B. quite often C. rarely D. not at all
5. Which mode of transport do you prefer?
A. Bus B. Matatus C. private transport
6. How would you rate the public transport system from 1 to 10?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The response that I got from each of the individuals was just as I expected. The first volunteer
said he was 48 years old and he has lived in Tanzania all his life. He is a businessman and he
always uses private transport. He rates the public transport system a 2 out of 10. The second
volunteer said she was a 22-year-old student who has also lived in Tanzania all her life. She
rarely uses public transport and she prefers private transport over buses or matatus. She rates
the public transport 5 out of 10. The last volunteer she was a 60-year-old fruit vendor who
has also lived in Tanzania all her life. She always uses public transport and she prefers using
the bus over private transport or matatus. She rates the public transport 8 out of 10.
I learnt from this that public transport is not popular in Tanzania because it is of less quality
and most of the times, people who can’t afford private transport are the ones who use the
public transport. I can relate this to myself too because I have never used public transport and
I don’t plan on doing so in the near future.
The information about the cost of public transport in comparison to private transport is
something that I know and would want to include in this topic because it also makes a huge
impact in the decision.
References
Debrincat, D. (2015, May 28). What public transport services are available in Tanzania? Retrieved
from evaneos: https://www.evaneos.com/tanzania/holidays/essential-information/4347-
public-transport-in-tanzania/
Simmons, A. E. (2018, May 14). The Disadvantages of a Small Sample Size. Retrieved from sciencing:
https://sciencing.com/disadvantages-small-sample-size-8448532.html
