Boda-Bodas get new rules

Oct 24, 2006

MOTORCYCLE taxis (bodabodas) will not operate in the city without a special passenger service vehicle (PSV) licence. The new regulation took effect yesterday.

By Steven Candia

MOTORCYCLE taxis (bodabodas) will not operate in the city without a special passenger service vehicle (PSV) licence. The new regulation took effect yesterday.

The licence will be issued by the transport licensing board (TLB). Acting TLB secretary Winstone Katushabe said the directive is intended to streamline bodabodas largely blamed for the rising road carnage and congestion in Kampala City.

Addressing journalists at Hotel Africana in Kampala yesterday, Katushabe warned that no one will ride a bodaboda cycle without a valid permit. The PSV licence costs sh10,000 annually. The directive also requires riders to wear crash helmets.

By 11:00am yesterday, the Police had impounded 128 motorcycles out of about 10,000 operating in the city, reports Patrick Jaramogi and Flavia Nakagwa.

Bodaboda business came to a standstill in the city and its suburbs. Travellers were forced to walk or jump onto taxis as bodaboda hid their bikes and avoided the city.

By afternoon, a number of cyclists without driving permits had been arrested by the Police.

Abandoned bikes had to be towed to nearby Police stations. At Katwe Police station, 38 bikes were impounded and their owners arrested. Station commander Chris Otim said, “We want to ensure sanity on the roads; where the passenger feels safe on a bodaboda.”

“The operation will continue with other aspects like helmets and so on but in the meantime, the operation is targeting those without driving permits,” he said.

The station traffic chief Noah Tuyishime said the 38 would be charged in court. At Old Kampala Police, 48 bikes were impounded and their owners arrested before they were later released to collect their permits.

The station traffic assistant inspector, Juventine Apunyo, said, “We released them due to the congestion in the cells. We have asked them to go and get their permits but we have held their bikes.”

Katushabe said many riders in Kampala and elsewhere do not have helmets and permits.

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