Bodaboda Riders Given Tough New Rules

The Nairobi City County on Thursday listed a number of tough rules for all bodaboda riders and passengers in the CBD in a move to reduce the number of accidents.

The CBD is now a no-go zone for the bodaboda riders and the only roads to be used are; Kirinyaga Road, University Way, Uhuru Highway, Hailesellasie Avenue and Racecourse Road.

Any passenger who will be found on a bodaboda within CBD will be arrested together with the rider.

The riders have been warned against riding on the wrong side and they will be allowed to carry only one passenger at a time.

[caption caption="File image of a bodaboda rider and passengers"][/caption]

Riding on pavements has also been outlawed and the riders will now be required to have an identification badge and plate with their membership number.

They will also be expected to have branded reflective jackets and must stop when asked by traffic police in uniform.

Further, no officer will be allowed to arrest the riders without full uniform or accompanied by officers in uniform.

The new directives also state that all motorcycles must be insured and all riders must have a valid driving license.

Recently, statistics showed that Nairobi was leading with the highest number of motorcycle casualties.

NTSA safety manager Samuel Musumba noted that passengers also contributed to this statistic since some don’t put on helmets and encourage the use of shortcuts.

The bodaboda sector has grown quickly after the government removed the Ksh10,000 excise duty per unit.

[caption caption="Bodaboda riders"][/caption]

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