How to make boda boda safer and sustainable
Author: Dickson Ng’hily
Tanzania needs to incorporate motorcycles (boda-boda) into the country’s transport systems in ways that are safe, sustainable, and equitable thus ripening from its potentials, and minimising its negative impacts, a recent study suggests. The Wheel of Change: Safe and Sustainable Motorcycles in Sub-Saharan Africa, the study observes that since motorcycles continue to play significant role in the transportation sector, formalisation is vital. “Motorcycles need to be incorporated into the wider improved transport and mobility policy, with an institutional framework that prioritises safety, sustainability, and equity. Policy must favour development of mass transit and promotion of active mobility over the private cars,” reads part of the study. According to the report, the move should be aligned with the safe system approach to road safety, and that the policy should support the transition to electric motorcycles to reduce air pollution and climate emissions, while also addressing safety concerns.