Boda Boda Motorcycles – quick transportation in Uganda
Boda Boda Bicycle and Motorcycle Taxis
Transport in Uganda –quick – efficient –risky
If you are a Thrill Seeker that loves risk – the Boda – Boda Motorcycle Taxis for you.
In Uganda there are three main ways to get around if you do not have your own transport – Special Hires – that in the rest of the world would be called taxis – in most cases you have to skillfully negotiate a right 
price, then there are what we call Taxis here which are Toyota Mini-Buses (Matatus) in various states of disrepair and once again you might have to negotiate a bit on the price with the conductor. Then for the thrill seeker there is the quickest way to get around in Kampala – the motorcycle taxi – the Boda Boda.
The word Boda Boda – is a Uglish (Uganda English) taking the words Border to Border and twisting them a bit by saying Boda Boda. That term comes from the Busia border of Uganda some 50 years ago when innovative Ugandans provided a way by Bicycle Taxis for Bus Passengers who had to disembark an easier way ( a cushioned seat in the back) to cross the border into Kenya or vice versa. Before that they had to take a long walk from the Ugandan border gate to the Kenyan border gate. These Bicycle Taxi Operators would advertise their transport by shouting out Boda Boda and since those days the Boda Boda Taxi service has evolved in that the streets of Kampala are filled with literally thousands of them. Throughout Uganda you will find them alongside of the road at what is called a stage where you after negotiating a price can hop on and quickly get to your nearby destination.
Boda Boda Motorcycles Taxis are not for the faint of heart, there are risks involved in riding one and at the same time there are thrills. They have come a long way from the Bicycle Taxis of old, a long way from the imported, used Japanese motorcycles, most today operate new Indian TVS and Baja brand motorcycles – in many cases the motorcycle is not owned by the driver but someone else who might have 10 to 20 of them. Less than 50% of Boda Boda Motorcycles are owner operated. There are over 200,000 Boda Boda drivers in Uganda, they have their own organizations, they represent political muscle, they contribute to commerce and industry and unfortunately they are the leading cause of emergency room hospital admissions in Uganda.
Boda Boda Taxi Drivers operate outside every traffic rule set down in Uganda – they pass on any side of the road, when vehicular traffic comes to standstill in the infamous Kampala jams – they continue onward to their riders destination – like the pony express of old in the USA – nothing stops a Boda Boda – they dart in and out of the smallest spaces, sidewalks becomes roads, the smallest distance in between cars is used-it is an amazing sight to behold, an even more amazing ride for someone visiting Uganda from the West.
There are laws – some specifically address the Boda Boda Motorcycles such as the helmet law- each driver and passenger is supposed to wear one – rarely do you see any helmets – passenger complain that they might get lice, an infection etc. In Rwanda on the other hand, everyone wears a helmet.
Women are most prone to accidents with Boda Boda Motorcycle Taxis since they have the habit to ride sideways instead of straddling the motorcycle – there are no handle bars to hold on to for the passenger and you will often see two passengers or even three on a Boda Boda. Many a woman has burn marks on her legs from the Boda Boda motorcycle exhaust, men usually have trousers on which prevents such quick burns.
Not only do you see passengers being transported but goods of all kinds-Boda Boda perform delivery services from sodas to charcoal or Matooke Bananas, go shopping for a client, pick up things in town, go to the market, take children to school, the list is endless.
Want to enjoy Uganda, remain healthy, no hospital visit, can forego seeking the thrills of the Ugandan road (if you want a thrill go White Water Rafting), stay off of Boda Boda Motorcycles – fast transport, yes, but also Uganda’s most dangerous. The drivers it has been noted in various reports take a bit more Waragi (gin), Coffee Spirit to keep them going, in other cases they have just puffed on some Ganja (Marijuana) – they lack safe driving skills, take unnecessary risks with their passengers and endanger their lives. The motorcycle itself may not be well maintained all guaranteeing you a journey filled with risk. To go along with that – I once met a young westerner on crutches that was badly bruised all over hobbling along, I simply asked him – Boda Boda? – he nodded.
Boda Boda Motorcycle Taxis are one of Uganda’s main ways of transportation – if you want to to ride on the back of something try something a bit safer – the Boda Boda bicycle Taxi – you can still find them – especially in flat areas of the country…if you are concerned for your well being – stay off a Boda Boda and enjoy the Pearl of Africa – Uganda …from Kampala…jon
“If I have ever seen magic, it has been in Africa.” John Hemingway – African Journeys
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