Le truck
Le Truck is the name of the public bus service in Polynesia . The word is a combination of the Anglo-American noun "truck" (truck, lorry, truck) and the French article "le" (der).
The bus system originated from military trucks that American troops had left behind on the military bases of the South Seas after the end of the Pacific War and that the islanders quickly converted into public transport. Today, there are commercial truck - chassis , where - mostly home-built - Buskabine is placed. The windows are usually open, window panes are not necessary due to the mild climate. The passenger seats are - at least in the buses of the smaller islands - simple, self-made wooden benches. Central European standard safety equipment, such as emergency exits , belts , fire extinguishers , etc., is not common.
Most of the islands in the South Pacific have only a single ring road that connects the settlements on the coastal plain. The public bus drives from the individual villages one after the other, on Rarotonga z. B. in an hour to the left and in the next hour to the right. The vehicles stop when and where the passengers want, there are usually no timetables and fixed stops. The passengers take all kinds of loads (including live animals) with them. Especially on market days, tourists who want to entrust themselves to the bus can experience adventurous loads.
Le Truck is available on Moorea , Bora Bora , Hiva Oa , Ua Pou and many other islands in the South Pacific. In Tahiti there is a more comfortable option that is more adapted to the needs of tourism.