In Kampala, Uganda motorcycle-taxis - known locally as boda bodas - rule the streets. Boda bodas initially arose in Uganda in the 1990s as a technological upgrade to bicycle-taxis operating on the border with Kenya, and were simultaneously introduced through much of Africa and further afield. In Uganda they are loosely organized and poorly regulated, largely due to ineffective government policies and co-option by police, yet they offer critical advantages in door-to-door service and the ability to maneuver through traffic.
Yet one of the most common and well-founded complaints towards boda bodas is their safety record. In Mulago national referral hospital there is a casualty ward named the Bajaj Ward, after the dominant motorcycle brand used by boda boda drivers. The main cause of deaths and serious injuries are head injuries, yet helmet usage, especially for passengers, remains rare as helmets are seen as an additional cost and regulations are not enforced.
A billboard in Kampala highlights the costs of a helmet (~$11) vs long-term medical care ($2,840). Photo by Amy Fallon.
Over the past few years, however, Ugandans have observed some improvements thanks to awareness campaigns, enforcement of existing laws and most critically, ride hailing apps like SafeBoda that mandate extra helmets be carried for passengers. Yet a new and somewhat unexpected obstacle to helmet wearing has arrived — COVID-19.
The introduction of ride hailing apps strongly promoted the use of helmets among boda boda riders and their passengers over the past few years. The ride hailing companies, such as SafeBoda, required boda riders carry two helmets, one for the rider himself and another for the passenger. Passengers had some initial concerns about hygiene but they were mostly around lice and hair issues, which was largely solved with the introduction of cheap hairnets — paid for by riders, given away for free, and consequently a new form of litter on Kampala streets.
With the arrival of COVID-19, however, it’s been quite difficult to convince anyone that they won’t contract COVID-19 from the shared helmet, as they breathe on the same visor as the last passenger. Since the passenger helmet carried by the SafeBoda rider is used by every passenger that he serves, people understandably fear they could be carrying the disease - though there has been no specific study on this to date.
SafeBoda driver masked up. Photo credit: SafeBoda
When the boda boda ban ended in July, the government required boda boda drivers to follow certain standard operating procedures (SOPs) including that all boda riders sanitize their motorcycles and helmets before every trip. Properly washing a helmet includes soap and water and long drying times, which is impractical between trips. Even the most hygiene-conscious riders admit to washing the helmet no more than once a month, as the current time-intensive methods eat into valuable riding time. Alcoholic wipes could be a quick solution — but who will foot the bill? As with the push for hairnets, boda drivers will likely be the ones to pay.
Without a solution that is both economically viable and effectively sanitizing, drivers are disincentivized from providing passengers with helmets despite the risk of serious injury. Yet boda bodas play a critical role in the economy and public transportation sector, and are not going to be abandoned any time soon. A strong alternative is to promote helmet possession among boda passengers, which has been legally mandated since 2004 but never enforced.
In Togo, a similar law was passed in 1996 and not enforced - until 2015, when passenger possession of helmets became commonplace in Togo, due largely to effective police enforcement and fines. Since COVID-19 emerged, however, it has been reported that a similar decrease in helmet usage has happened in Togo - this time due to police replacing fines for helmets with fines for masks, and passengers complaining that it is too hot to wear both. Despite this apparent failure in policy, it is clear that enforcement is the key factor in improving helmet-wearing..
Geofrey Ndhogezi, a boda boda driver and research assistant in Kampala, used to meet passengers already sensitive to hygiene before the spread of COVID-19, who would reject the helmet that he offered simply because it was used by everyone else. A few such passengers carried their own helmets wherever they went - yet despite the arrival of COVID-19, Geofrey reports that passenger-owned helmets have not become noticeably more common, and SafeBoda passengers are simply going without.
Unfortunately, road crashes remain rampant and coronavirus is persisting over a year later. To increase protection from both COVID-19 and deadly head injuries, Uganda should learn the lessons of Togo by enforcing the 2004 Traffic and Road Safety Act and encouraging boda boda passengers to carry their own helmets.
This post was co-written by Tom Courtright (SEAS MS ‘22 | Taubman MURP ‘22) and Geofrey Ndhogezi, boda boda driver.