Tag: Motorcycle taxi

Are Boda-Bodas Safe in Uganda? (Tips!)

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When you travel to a country on vacation, it’s tempting to try different ways of traveling around while you’re away. When you arrive in Uganda, you will find that motorcycle taxis – known locally as boda-bodas – are a popular way for people to get around. But are boda-bodas safe in Uganda safe?

A 2020 study found that more than half of the surgical budget for Mulago National Referral Hospital – Uganda’s largest public hospital – has been dedicated to treating patients with boda-boda injuries, given the rise in road traffic incidents involving motorcyclists. 

Serious incidents involving motorcycle taxis in Uganda are all too common and are caused by a number of factors, including dangerous driving, poor maintenance, inferior roads, and lack of helmet use, among several other factors. 

As a result, some safety-conscious Ugandans avoid using boda-bodas altogether, while others only ever hop on a motorcycle taxi with a rider that they trust. 

When you’re on vacation in Uganda as a tourist; you might be tempted to jump on a boda-boda when in Entebbe or Kampala, as many people use them every day to get around. If you decide to use a motorcycle taxi, please bear in mind the following five safety tips before scheduling a ride, so you can at least mitigate some of the risks associated with this form of transport in Uganda.

The verdict: Are boda-bodas safe in Uganda?

Using motorcycle taxis (boda-bodas) is generally not advised for tourists, as accident rates are high. However, if you’re sensible and take certain precautions, jumping on a motorcycle taxi to travel short distances isn’t necessarily dangerous. 

My wife and I own two motorcycles in Uganda, and we rent them out to friends who use them as motorcycle taxis. We ensure our motorcycles are insured and well maintained, but not everyone is as mindful of the condition of their motorcycles, which contributes to many of road traffic incidents. 

So, if you’re planning to take a motorcycle taxi in Uganda, please bear the following five safety tips in mind: 

Consider the weather conditions before riding

Photo Credit: Kayla Farmer

Traveling by motorcycle taxi in the rain is a bad idea. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it’s dangerous. Even the best tarmac roads in Uganda become extremely slippery for boda-bodas after heavy downpours, and it’s common for riders to slip on the roads and lose their balance. 

And while the weather in Uganda is often unpredictable, try and plan your journeys ahead of time and if it looks like rain is on the horizon, look for an alternative means of transport. 

For people traveling on a super tight budget, you can opt for a seat in a shared public taxi to take you to your destination, and for those of you with a little more money to spare, just hire a private taxi to take you where you need to go. 

Boda-bodas can be dangerous enough in Uganda without adding bad weather to the mix, so be sensible about whether it’s a good idea to arrange a motorcycle taxi in the first place! 

Don’t ride without a helmet

According to the aforementioned study into boda-boda safety in Uganda, less than one in five motorcycle riders wears a helmet. You don’t need me to tell you about the importance of wearing a helmet when riding a motorcycle, but it’s important to mention it here. 

Even though many motorcycle taxi riders in Uganda choose not to wear helmets, they usually carry a helmet that is available to their passengers. If you flag a boda-boda driver down to take you somewhere, insist that they provide you with a helmet. 

If they don’t have one to offer you (and you haven’t got one yourself), then wait for another boda-boda rider to stop. Given the regular occurrence of boda-boda incidents on the roads, wearing a helmet is a bare minimum requirement when choosing this form of transport. 

If you’re not having much luck flagging down a boda-boda rider with a helmet, you can turn to technology to help you, as I explain below.

Use an app to find trusted riders

In Kampala, there is an application called Safe Boda, which is an absolute must-have if you plan on using motorcycle taxis during your vacation in Uganda. Safe Boda is Uganda’s Uber, and it’s a safe and secure way to hail a ride when you’re in the capital city. When you book a rider on Safe Boda, you are guaranteed the following: 

  • The rider is licensed, insured, and vetted. 
  • There is a helmet available for you to wear. 
  • The bike is in sound mechanical condition. 
  • The payment process is cashless and conducted via the app. 

Although you sometimes have to wait a little longer for a Safe Boda driver to show up – particularly when compared to flagging down a rider on the road – it’s absolutely worth the wait. 

In recent times, the Ugandan government has instituted a clamp down on unlicensed boda-boda riders, and applications like Safe Boda will soon dominate the market. So, if you want to guarantee your ride with a registered and safe motorcycle taxi, Safe Boda is absolutely essential, so be sure to download it to your phone before planning your journey. 

Use them only for short distances

When I’m in Kampala, I often use Safe Boda to move around. This is typically because the traffic is so bad in some parts of the city, and it can take an eternity to get to your destination if you travel by car. 

However, I try and limit my boda-boda journeys to short distances – typically only a few kilometers at a time – to reduce the risk of being involved in an accident. 

If you’re planning a longer journey in and around Uganda’s capital city, it’s safer to brave the jam or to use Google Maps to try and avoid gridlocked streets. While boda-bodas can offer an effective solution for many short journeys, they’re not the best option for longer rides through the city.

Always negotiate the price before agreeing to a ride

Helpfully, if you use an app like Safe Boda to arrange a motorcycle taxi in Uganda, you don’t need to worry about negotiating a price beforehand. The cost of the ride will be indicated on the app, and you deposit the money into the driver’s account following your ride. 

However, if you hail a motorcycle taxi from the side of the road, you need to negotiate the price with the rider. This can be extremely difficult if you’re new to Uganda and you don’t know where you’re going! 

While some boda-boda drivers will charge you a fair price, others will try and rip you off. If you’re taking a boda-boda from your hotel, ask a member of staff how much you should pay to get to a certain destination before boarding. You can then tell the rider how much you’re willing to pay, and if it’s a fair price, they are likely to accept. 

But to avoid this hassle, I recommend downloading the Safe Boda app, so you can find out the exact price to get to your destination without negotiating with the rider.

Recap: Are boda-bodas safe in Uganda?

So, are boda-bodas safe in Uganda? It depends. As a tourist, you need to be careful about accepting a ride from any passing boda-boda, and you should use an app like Safe Boda to ensure that the driver is licensed and the bike is in good mechanical condition. 

You should also avoid taking motorcycle taxis in the rain and limit your journeys to short distances while always wearing a helmet. If you follow these tips, you can safely use motorcycle taxis in Uganda, but taking a boda-boda is certainly not without its risks. 

If you’re looking for ways to travel from Kampala to Entebbe and aren’t sold on motorcycle taxis, check out this article, where I discuss your options for traveling between the two.