name derives from a Swahili or Kikuyu colloquialism meaning "three". One explanation is that three 10-cent coins made up the typical 30-cent fare in the 1970s. There is no universally agreed opinion on an origin for the name, however, alternatively, one news source suggests its origin lies in the Kikuyu language, specifically from the Kikuyu phrase 'mang'otore matatu' meaning 30 cents.

Public perception