Boda boda

Motorcycle boda boda in Uganda c. 2010
Bicycle boda boda in Masindi, Uganda c. 2009

Boda boda are bicycle & motorcycle taxis commonly found in East Africa.[1] While motorcycle taxis like boda bodas are present throughout Africa and beyond, the term boda boda is specific to East Africa.[2] Their ubiquitous presence in East African cities is the result of a number of factors including an increasing demand for public transit,[1] the ability to purchase motorcycles on credit,[3] and an influx of cheap imports from Indian manufacturers like Bajaj.[4] In the countries where they are present, boda boda can provide vital job opportunities for entrepreneurial young men who lack skills lifting their incomes and brightening their lives while at the same time resulting in an increase in road accidents and unnecessary deaths.[5]

Etymology

The term boda boda may come from the English words shouted by their drivers: "border, border". The word originated in Busia, Kenya where bicycle riders would ferry people from outlying areas in the county (formerly district) to the market in Busia town. Most times people would avoid using Matatus (which were and still are the common form of public transport) because they were expensive or very few were available. They would, however, also not agree with bicycle riders on a fare to Busia.

To cut cost, people would start walking toward Busia. Meanwhile bicycle riders (boda boda) would wait for the next customer. If they waited long without getting one they would start cycling towards Busia, and along the way they would meet people walking towards Busia. They would then shout "border, border". If they get an interested person they would then start bargaining for a fare. If they agreed, the bicycle rider would ferry the person to Busia. Otherwise they would continue and the process will repeat till the bicycle rider got a passenger.

Later bicycle 'boda boda' would graduate to motorcycle then spread to other parts of Kenya and East Africa.

Alternatively, a BBC journalist initially imagined its origin to be onomatopoeia.[6]

A third theory is that the boda boda had an apocryphal ability to transport people across a border without a need to complete the paperwork using a motor vehicle would necessitate.[7]

Number in operation

While there is no doubt boda boda are commonplace in East African cities like Kampala and Nairobi, estimates of their number vary.

Dar es Salaam

Figures show a substantial increase (nearly 10,000%) of motorcycle imports to Tanzania in the three years from 2013 to 2015.[5]

Kampala

In 2013, one source claims 300,000 were operating in Kampala, Uganda.[3] Data from the Kampala Capital City Authority show 120,000 registered motorcycles in the city around the same time although the number of boda boda could be higher as some are unregistered according to a representative of the Kampala Boda-boda Riders Association.[4] The same source indicated in 2015 that around 40,000 were operating in central Kampala.[4] Another knowledgeable source suggested in 2015 that the true figure is closer to double that number. [8]

Kigali

Unlike in most other cities, motorcycle taxi drivers in Kigali, Rwanda, are generally registered and considered law-abiding.[5] Here, the preferred term for this form of transport is moto.[9]

SafeBoda

An Uber-style ride-hailing app for motorcycle taxis, SafeBoda was founded in late 2014, and, as of 2015, restricted its operations to Kampala, Uganda.[8] It provides training and helmets to drivers who access fares through its app.[8] The smartphones carried by drivers can collect braking data allowing the firm to rank operators' safety, and a routing system that relies more on landmarks than maps helps ensure only those who possess thorough local knowledge will attempt to pick up a potential fare. A similar app called SafeMotos has been launched in Kigali, Rwanda. [10]

Galllery

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Poon, Linda (4 Mar 2016). "The Love-Hate Relationship Between East Africa and Its Two-Wheeled Taxis". CityLab. The Atlantic. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  2. ↑ "Safety improvements for Uganda's boda boda taxis". Africa Business Report. BBC. 27 March 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2016. In Uganda, they are known as boda bodas...
  3. 1 2 "Boda bodas: A deathtrap at your beckon". newvision.co.ug. New Vision. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "The boda boda economy defining the streets of Kampala". Daily Monitor. Nation Media Group. 15 Sep 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 Kavuma, Richard (30 June 2015). "Revved and ready to go: Tanzania is set to tackle unstoppable boda boda taxis". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  6. ↑ Smith, Chris (2 June 2015). "Boda-bodas: The bikes that keep Uganda moving". newsbeat. BBC. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  7. ↑ Denis Walls (2012). "A Year in Rwanda". Lulu. p. 121. ISBN 9781471736315. Retrieved 2017-03-22. The word boda boda has a very interesting etymology. It turns out that in the early days of transport between kenya and Uganda, crossings between the two countries were known as going 'border to border' and one of the modern means of transport became a modified new word.
  8. 1 2 3 Senthilingam, Meera (25 March 2015). "'Uber for motorbikes' - the smart way to get around in a bustling capital". African Start-Up. CNN. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  9. ↑ "Could cashless payments make Rwanda's bus conductor redundant?". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "Tech startups in Africa: Africa uber alles". The Economist. The Economist Newspaper Limited. 23 April 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
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