Regulation of Boda Boda Operators and Road Accident Reduction in Uganda: A Case of Kampala City Council Authority

Abstract

Motorcycle transport commonly referred to as Boda Boda is apopular means of transport in Uganda. It is cheap compared to theother forms of motorized transport, easy to maneuver where roadsare impassable to motor vehicles, and carries passengers from doorto-door because the culture of walking is not typical to many Ugandans.Despite benefits offered by boda boda transport, it has proveddifficult for the government to regulate the industry. There is someoperational discipline provided by the associations to which majorityof boda boda operators belong though most of them have only alocal jurisdiction. Lack of clear regulations in the boda boda industryas well as weak enforcement of these regulations is threatening the  safety of passengers and riders as well. Despite several attempts tostreamline the industry, the exercise has not been successful, makingboda boda account for a significant number of fatal road accidentsacross the country. The purpose of the study was to investigate theregulation of boda boda operations in Kampala City Council Authority(KCCA) and its impact on road accident reduction. A quantitativeresearch approach and cross-sectional survey were adopted. Datawere collected using a self- administered questionnaire. Implicationsfor both theory and practice are discussed, especially suggestions forgovernment in formulation of policies and regulations that govern bodaboda operations.