With a African and European pen
Transport in Africa is different from transport in Europe. It would not be expected otherwise. The name Boda Boda is used to describe bicycle taxis or motorbike taxis. They are used to transport loads and people. This is also how the fruit harvests of the tropics are brought to the main roads, for example in Tanzania. Here, trucks pick them up and transport them to large ports for shipment. Especially for the dusty roads to the remote villages, they are of great use and enable trade. They originated in the border area between Uganda and Kenya. The first Boda Boda were active as smugglers on the border between Uganda and Kenya. There are now said to be over 1 million people working as professional Boda Boda taxi drivers in Uganda.
The Boda Boda transportation has become beneficial to some government istitutions which delever services directly to citizens in the villages and urban areas. These include water and electricity service provides, postal and courier services like DHL and FEDEX. The motorcycles has helped the service agents to go into the remote areas where the roads are bad.Many Boda Boda stations are locate by the main road junctions,outside night clubs and restaurants,market areas and bus stations. At these stations also there are small vendors and petty traders who save the Boda Boda riders. They usually sell fruits,drinks, cigarettes and coffee. Others have managed to start cafe business and serve food to the transporters, so
Besides light, there is also shadow, because sometimes they are considered unsafe, also because of the lack of helmets. However, the picture on the streets and in the cities is full of life. For the people, the Boda Boda taxis are a great benefit, because they have affordable mobility. They repair and maintain the technology themselves, which means another piece of independence. For rural regions in particular, this provides the necessary mobility for social life and economic activity based on their own resources. In this way, they make an important contribution to the development of the infrastructure.
Author: David Suddy + Thomas Isenburg
