Bogotá driver turns his bus into his new home

The lives of many Colombians have changed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Jorge Alberto Ricaurte is no exception.

The 50-year-old veteran bus driver who had been driving a public service vehicle, owned by his father, for over ten years through the streets of Bogota is now at a standstill.

Ricaurte's life changed completely in a matter of days due to the mandatory quarantine.

Public transport was reduced to a minimum, his money ran out, and he could no longer afford to pay rent where he lived while also paying his estranged daughters' rent, so avoiding eviction he voluntarily decided on an extreme measure.

Ricaurte, determined 15 days ago that his only option was to live in the vehicle that for so many years helped him support himself and his family financially.

"Morgan", as he affectionately calls his 2002 six-meter (19 foot) long by two and a half meters (8 feet) wide vehicle, has been his salvation.

While Morgan can't keep out the mosquitoes or the cold, Ricaurte is grateful to have a refuge.

He's removed the 33 seats and installed a bed, a television and improvised a kitchen and laundry room.

Together Ricaurte and Morgan, named after the famed Welsh privateer captain, could generate up to 150 US dollars per day.

Now they are stuck in a parking lot in western Bogota that charges them 50 US dollars per month, that Ricaurte says he has no way to pay.