Police vow to arrest bodas

Feb 14, 2010

THE Police have vowed to continue the crackdown on boda-bodas until they comply with traffic regulations.

By Steven Candia, Barbara Among and Juliet Waiswa

THE Police have vowed to continue the crackdown on boda-bodas until they comply with traffic regulations.

Kampala deputy Police spokesperson Henry Kalulu said the Force would not succumb to any pressure.

“Those who think we are going to call off the operation are mistaken,” Kalulu said by phone.

He said 1,650 motorcycles had been impounded since the exercise started last week.

The crackdown targeted riders who lacked permits, reflective jackets and those without crush helmets among other offences.

After complying with all requirements, riders, are expected to present their logbooks before reclaiming their motorcycles.

When a motorcycle is impounded, the Police issue the rider with an express penalty ticket which must be paid before the motorcycle is returned.

“Once they produce evidence of payments and a log book, they can have their motorcycles back but additionally, they must comply with the other requirements,” Kalulu said.

In a related development, Kampala resident district commissioner Alice Muwanguzi on Friday announced that Kampala City Council had embarked on the re-registration of boda-bodas.

She explained that the exercise, to be carried out together with the traffic Police, was aimed at controlling reckless driving.

“We will carry out a one-week exercise in all the divisions. We want to ensure that all cyclists are registered, given identification numbers and uniforms as per their division,” Muwanguzi told journalists last week.

She explained that the measure was also aimed at establishing the number of boda-bodas in the city because they had increased over time.

“We want to know how many cyclists we have and give them uniforms. We also want to know how many cyclist occupy degazetted stages.”

Muwanguzi said registration centres had been set up at Nsambya grounds for riders from Central Division, Holywood grounds for those in Makindye, Veteran Market Wakaliga for riders in Rubaga, Naguru grounds for those in Nakawa and Kanyanya Express ground for riders in Kawempe.

To register, riders are required to have valid identification cards, permits, and passport-size photographs.

The crackdown has not gone down well with the cyclists, who last week petitioned President Yoweri Museveni.

The President, however, endorsed the operation, arguing that it was for safety purposes.

Commenting separately about the crackdown at a Cabinet retreat, Museveni said passengers should not be forced to wear helmets while riding on boda-bodas.

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