Transportation in Yaounde

Yaoundé moves on shared yellow taxis, motorcycle taxis called "benskin," and the occasional green bus. Shared taxis are the everyday workhorse, cheap, everywhere, and easy to flag once you learn the hand signals for your direction. Motorcycle taxis cost a fraction of a car ride and weave through traffic fastest. But agree on the fare before the helmet goes on. Meters don't exist. Buses exist but run on opaque schedules and fill only when full, so they're better for locals with time than for visitors with luggage. First-timers should download the Yango ride-hailing app before landing. It shows real fares upfront and sidesteps the airport taxi scrum. Inside town, avoid the central post-office roundabout after dark, drivers circle endlessly looking for extra passengers, turning a five-minute hop into a twenty-minute crawl. When leaving Yaoundé Nsimalen International, skip the curbside touts. The official taxi queue just outside arrivals is slower but safer, and the fare is typically moderate rather than the splurge demanded by hustlers inside the terminal.