The Dangerous Boda Boda Transport Mode: Mitigating an Impending War on the Roads in a Transforming City? Case of Kampala City
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Date
2019Author
Wanume, Paul
Nduhura, Alex
Mugerwa, Benedict
Bagambe, Henry
Ninsiima, Jemimah
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This paper investigates the tyranny of motorbike (boda-boda) socio-economic costs associated with
commercial motorbike accidents in a city setting and provides strategies to reduce the negative effect of such transport
mode. Existing research has focused on social economic costs with vehicles automobile related accidents leaving silent but
impactful broader indirect costs and strategies for managing boda-boda in the city undebated and in limbo. The study
borrows from the view that cities and their streets are for everyone. City dwellers no matter the economic and social status
must have an opportunity to enjoy life in cities. Based on a cross-sectional survey and documents analysis, this paper
concludes that the costs of boda-boda accidents is alarming and may be silently impacting on economic growth and
prosperity of city dwellers especially the bottom of the pyramid. The outcome of the study point to the need to continuously
review such costs and institute mitigants to reduce boda-boda fatalities and injuries through various interventions but more
importantly underpins the need to establish the true delivered of boda-boda accidents to their victims. The study findings
are relevant since they provide an assessment of not only economic but social costs associated with motorbike accidents.
The study provides strategies that are informed by empirical and secondary evidence in Uganda’s context and from
international experiences. These are necessary for Uganda that seeks to create 9 cities and other countries are envision not
at transforming their cities into smart cities but transiting existing municipal authorities into cities and gradually into smart
cities.