Experts in the transport sector have asked the government to work together with the available ride-hailing applications to improve its systems to include National IDs as a necessity for registration for both riders and customers.
The operations manager Bolt Uganda Moses Maurice Mugerwa said it is clear that boda-bodas are still a preferred means of transportation therefore every step should be taken to make them safe for the riders and customers.
He said this is not the first time that the government has proposed these changes; there is a need for greater collaboration between the concerned parties to ensure that all parties’ needs are met.
Mugerwa said there should be a systematic transport system that offers a safe and convenient way to travel for most Ugandans and offers boda-boda riders the opportunities to earn a stable income in a secure environment.
Recently, the government announced that it was embarking on the process of registering all boda-boda riders in the city and ensuring that each of them had a specific stage where they would operate from.
The boda-boda riders have been given a grace period of 4 months to register or risk not operating within the city. Any boda-boda rider that isn’t registered by July 1 2022 will be prohibited from operating in Kampala.
In an inter-ministerial committee comprising the Ministry of Works and Transport, Ministry of local government, Kampala ministry, police and representatives from boda-boda associations, it was agreed that there was a need to register, and formalise every boda-boda operating in metropolitan Kampala.
According to the government, each boda-boda rider will be registered using a copy of their national ID, and given reflective identification jackets unique to each division.
Riders will also be provided with QR codes and their pictures will be well displayed on their backs for easy identification.