Africa-Press – Uganda. Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has threatened to block all boda boda riders who have not taken part in the ongoing census.
Addressing the media in Kampala yesterday, the deputy executive director for KCCA, Mr David Luyimbaazi, said the registration targets at least 200,000 boda boda riders, but in the last 15 days, only 20,000 have turned up for the exercise.
The census, which was supposed to end on Tuesday, was pushed to September 16.
“The boda boda census around the city had earlier been scheduled to end on August 30. We have, however, witnessed an upsurge of riders in the last two days of the exercise, prompting us to extend the exercise,” Mr Luyimbaazi said.
He, however, said all census centres in schools shall not be operational starting next week to enable schools to reopen for the third term.
“All census centres in schools shall be operational up to Friday [today]. Starting next week, registration shall be done from the five division offices,’’ Mr Luyimbaazi said.
The five division offices are Nakawa, Kawempe, Makindye, Rubaga, and Kampala Central.
The census is part of KCCA’s smart city campaign that, among others, aims at organising and regulating boda boda operations, enhancing safety and security of riders and passengers, as well as establishing an online database for motorcycles.
On Wednesday, Daily Monitor reported that thousands of boda boda cyclists turned up for registration on the last day, overwhelming the enumerators at different centres.
Some riders were rejected due to lack of authentic documents. The registration requirements are a duly filled application form, National Identity Card, and letters from the LC and the parish Internal Security Officer.
Mr Luyimbaazi attributed the low turn up in the first days of registration to politicisation of the exercise, adding that some riders thought they would be asked to pay money.
He cited the upsurge in the number of boda boda riders at different census centres as proof that cyclists have got the right information and have embraced the initiative.
The KCCA supervisor on public transport, Mr Fortunate Biira, rallied boda boda riders and owners to utilise the additional two weeks for registration.
“All boda boda riders should register, with time, those who have not registered may not be allowed to operate from the city. The number of boda boda operators and stage demarcations allowed in the city shall be communicated after the census,” Mr Biira said.
In our earlier interviews with boda boda cyclists, many complained of being asked to pay in order to receive the required documents such as recommendation letters from the LCs and parish Internal Security Officers while others lost their motorcycle logbooks.
The government, through KCCA, in 2020 unveiled a plan to ban boda bodas from the city centre and create free zones outside the Central Business District, among others.
The government, however, suspended the plan for the city’s transport system for taxis and boda bodas to fast track a legal framework under which the same scheme can be implemented.
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