By Our Reporter
The E-Trade Association, an umbrella organization that converges companies and organizations that use the power of the internet to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in Uganda, has petitioned government to lift the ban on bodabodas after 7pm.
They argue that banning Boda Bodas after 7pm raises a lot of safety concerns for majority of Ugandans moving at night since less than 1% of Ugandans own a car and Taxi coverage past 7pm is very limited and unsafe for users to walk from a taxi stage and reach the door of their home late hours after work.
Speaking to media on Monday, Owomugisha Blessing Immaculate, the Ag. Secretary General – Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry underscored the importance of the Boda-Boda Industry to the economy, noting that it is the second largest employer in Uganda after Agriculture and it provides a livelihood for close to seven million Ugandans.
“Keeping the Industry under restricted movement (curfew) when the economy has finally opened up after two years is a dis-service to the Business community that heavily relies on it as a primary facilitator for their business engagement in regards to the ease of movement of goods, services and personnel from one place to another,” Owomugisha Blessing Immaculate said.
In Uganda, motorcycles enable millions of people to have the chance to participate in the economy everyday – getting to the market, delivering supplies, getting home after work, visiting a friend, or even getting to a meeting on time.
Whereas taxis provide an alternative, they are unable to go to the last mile, and cannot get people directly home. A 7pm curfew for boda bodas therefore means that businesses that could have stayed open longer might close earlier for the safety of their employees.
“The government should reconsider its directives and instead train and emphasize the good practices on motorcycles operations in addition to establishment of a well updated database on commercial motorcycle activities for their sustainability and a regulated legal framework to the aspirations of the operators, customers and other road users.” Owomugisha concluded.