KCCA suspends Bodaboda free zone for a month

Jul 27, 2020

Nuwabine said bodabodas are free to access the central business district as KCCA prepares to demarcate stages.

TRANSPORT 

KAMPALA- Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has suspended the Bodaboda Free Zone for a month.

Creating the free zone was contained in an array of proposals the Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs Ministry recently presented to government in the bid to streamline public transport in the City.

In a press statement issued over the weekend, KCCA confirmed that cabinet had approved the Boda Boda Free Zone in the City's central business area.

"It is going to take immediate effect and we appeal to all Bodaboda riders to avoid the central business district (CBD)," KCCA spokesperson, Daniel Muhumuza Nuwabine said.

This he said was one of the initiatives to reduce congestion and pave way for other transport initiatives such as cycling to gain prominence in the City.

The Free Zone expands along Wampewo Roundabout- Jinja Road to Kitgum House junction - Access Road - Mukwano Road to Clock Tower -Kafumbe Mukasa Road -Kisenyi Road -Mackay Road- Kyaggwe Road- Watoto Church-Bombo Road - Wandegeya - Hajji Musa Kasule Road- Mulago roundabout- Kamwokya junction - Sturrock Road - Prince Charles Drive- Lugogo Bypass-Jinja Road- Wampewo Roundabout.

"And we don't anticipate commercial riders or commercial boda bodas to ride from in there and they should get used to the fact that we shall not be operating in that area," Nuwabine warned.

He said "all riders must follow and comply with cabinet directives on the reforms to streamline and regulate the operations of motorcycles in the city." 

Cyclists on Jinja Road
Cyclists on Jinja Road


In an interview with the New Vision shortly after announcing the suspension of enforcing the free zone, Nuwabine said bodabodas were free to access the CBD as KCCA prepares to demarcate stages and properly highlight the free zone.

The bodabodas according to Nuwabine are supposed to utilize the grace period to register with leaderships of different stages.

"New stages should not be near bank, fuel station, security operating areas and government institutions," Nuwabine said.

However what is concerning, out of the 900 stages identified in the city only 585 stages meet the criteria of the 80 meters apart.

According to KCCA all motorcycles let it be for private companies, service provider riders or individually owned, must be registered to operate in the city.

In order to be registered, a rider must avail a riding permit, details of the owner of the bike, national Identity card, letter of local council leader.

"In this one month, we shall work with the stage leaders to ensure that all the boda boda riders are registered.

This will enable us to know how many bodabodas are allowed to operate on every stage," he said.

There are about 200,000 commercial boda-boda riders in Kampala with 50,000, of them operating in the CBD.

The motorcycles belonging to corporate companies will be registered under the company names and allowed to access the free zone. 

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