An old style bus in Goa known as Caminhão or Carreira in the 1960s plying from Colvale to Mapusa as written on the front panel of the bus...
Other than the driver, the Caminhão also had a conductor, called ‘kilinder’ in the local dialect, who was in charge of the passenger fare collection. It was amusing to see these two, the driver and the conductor, who had their own way of communication and a private signalling system between themselves, with a certain rhythmic tap on the side of the bus to reverse, a whistle here and a shout there to slow down, stop, leave, or to ignore waiting passengers, if the bus was extremely full. And as the Caminhão took off, the ‘kilinder’ would be the last to board. He had his own peculiar way and style of sitting when the bus was filled to capacity. He would place himself just barely on the edge of the side seat at the rear of the bus, with the rear door half open, one leg inside the bus and one on the riding step.
The conductor would sometimes sacrifice his modest seat in order to make space for one more passenger. He would be seen standing on the ladder at the back with his fists firmly gripped around the rungs. It seemed that everybody who wanted to travel somehow got on board. No one was left behind.
On long journeys, passengers often made friends and carried on conversations, while some happily viewed outside, enjoying the beautiful scenery as the bus moved its way through peaceful and quaint little villages, serene fields and hills. One would often see people sitting in the balcão (Portuguese style balconies) of their houses, others going about their various daily chores, small way-side tea-shops, taverns and small grocery stores.
Oh! Those nostalgic memories of travelling in a Goan Caminhão or Carreira....
PC: From the collection of Carlos Coutinho
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