For years, the government has made attempts of trying to streamline the boda-boda industry and the last attempt happened early this year where Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) was seeking for Shs800 million to organise the industry in the city.
The State Minister for Kampala Affairs, Benny Namugwanya disclosed that KCCA wants to streamline the boda-boda industry so as to generate revenue but also ensure it’s clear of criminals.
In this, the Authority needed money to recruit workers and buy equipment to facilitate the process as she said; “We shall need people to do the work. We shall need computers to help in the process. We may need biometric machines and all these cost money. But we also need to come up with a clear plan for the boda-boda industry and the future.”
However, as we speak the smartphone boda-boda companies seem to be relieving KCCA from the burden of arranging the backbone of public transport in Uganda.
With the availability of Uber, Taxify, Safe Boda and the recently introduced Dail Jack, the industry seems to be shifting to another stage of modernity in the city centre and around with only a click on a Smartphone.
The operating companies operate on a strict guideline that ensures that their riders don’t have more than one passenger, have two helmets with numbers, reflector jackets and stop at traffic lights.
These are things the Uganda Police Force, KCCA had failed to achieve for over ten years. Not even the mandatory registration came close to solving the problem until recently when boda-apps came into the market.
Just like the mandatory speed governors for public service vehicles, seatbelt use for all motorists, the helmet directive passed in 2013 has been tactfully dodged by the motorists.
Despite the police threatening to arrest boda-boda cyclists and their passengers whenever they are more than one, some boda-bodas are sighted roaming in the city centre with three passengers.
The smartphone boda-apps effortlessly resolved these challenges that have revolutionalised the industry.
Ordinary boda-bodas crying foul But as we applaud the reached milestone, remember we also still have hundreds of riders who have remained in the ordinary manner of staging on streets or residential routes simply waiting for one to pass by.
Have you ever fathomed about their fate in this now changing the industry?
Matooke Republic reached out to some of them around town to give us their view on how they are copying-up with the competition from the boda-apps.
Our interaction began in Ntinda were we met Robert Muwonge who has been in the business, for now, seven years. According to Muwonge, business has been very frustrating of late since customers are now few and even the few he gets wants to be transported cheaply.
“Last week I applied in Taxify because I had no choice since business has really declined. I used to make at least Shs70,000 a day but not anymore. My clients are used to the low prices of these boda-apps.”
Muwonge said Christopher Byamukama ‘Kanyankore’ who we met in Kamwokya Acacia stage was no different from Muwonge’s lamentations as he also confirmed that boda-apps have remained the only way to go despite the low charges.
“Though I fear change but this time I am going to try and see. Am yet to decide which company to apply to but surely am going to apply because I need to get clients to transport and have heard that with these apps I get customers directly on my phone,” Byamukama said.
However, some ordinary boda-bodas riders remain optimistic that they will handle the Smartphone boda-boda competition. Shafic Bbosa rider in Kyaliwajjala angrily cursed the boda-apps for spoiling their industry.
“I can never join such companies. I sweat alone on the streets and for them, they collect my little money while seated in their offices,” Bbosa scoffed.
“Fuel prices are high, how do they (app-boda companies) help their riders? We are all suffering the same way and remember for them they charge cheaply,” he added.
When pressed further asking what if it’s made compulsory for every boda rider to be registered to any app-company, he quickly replied; “I will just quit the business and go back to digging.”
