The riders who are attending a training on safety by Safe Way Right Way, note that they have been infiltrated by wrong elements and authorities are not doing much to streamline the industry.
Boda Boda riders in Kampala City are calling for the revival of
trainings to professionalize the Boda Boda industry.
The riders who are attending a training on safety by Safe Way Right Way, note that
they have been infiltrated by wrong elements and the authorities are not doing much
to streamline the industry.
Kanyike Kiviri, the acting Chairman of over 30 Boda Boda factions in Kampala
says that enforcement is largely marred by corruption and yet when new
regulations are formulated they are never popularized by the authorities.
According to Kiviri, when officials go for bench-marking trips to
study best practices in other countries; the riders are never briefed about the
outcomes.
He says the training will address the discipline of riders and also streamline
the Boda Boda Industry which is currently disorganized.
//Cue in: "Omulimu gwa Boda...
Cue out: ...Gyennina okulinnya"//
Kiviri says that Boda Boda riders were last trained by the Uganda
Police and the then Kampala City Council administration. He adds that focus should also on putting in place guidelines that will ensure order and sanity in the sector. The guidelines, he says should
require all riders to have helmets, driving permits and respect traffic rules.
Rogers Kawuma Nsereko, the Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Traffic
Police Commander said that the police was devising plans of reviving the
trainings, but this was affected by the COVID-19 lockdown.
Nsereko says that most of the accidents in Kampala are as a result of
recklessness of the Boda Boda riders.
//Cue in: "You realise that...
Cue out: ...our Boda Boda riders"//
Paul Kwamusi, a Consultant on Road Safety who was conducting the
training said one of the important modules that they will be teaching riders on
is safety and understanding Uganda's helmet standard
policy..
//Cue in: "We are going...
Cue out: ...For every rider"//
Richard Senabulya who has been appointed head of security of the
new group of 32 Boda Boda factions in Kampala says they have already started the process of collecting views from members on how to improve the industry which
will form part of their planned constitution.
He says among the suggestions so far received is the idea of
having traffic wardens among the cyclists to address recklessness on the road
and disrespect for traffic rules.
//Cue in: "Bateekewo empuliziganya...
Cue out: ...Etakola Boda Boda"//
Last year, KCCA and the Ministry of Works and Transport asked Boda
Boda riders to register as part of government efforts to streamline the
business. The plan was to register them, allocate stages and get a unifying
leadership. However, registration is yet to start.
