Today, I wish to digress from my usual discourse on economic and developmental matters. This time, my focus is on a certain social malaise that has reached unmanageable proportions in most urban areas: The boda boda (motorcycle) menace.
“A rat that is seen during the day is chasing what will burn the granary at night” is a well-known African proverb. It means that small problems, when ignored, often lead to bigger disasters. The rat may seem harmless, but if not dealt with, it will destroy your stored harvest – your livelihood.
When boda bodas were permitted in urban transportation around 2008/09, they brought a welcome innovation to Tanzania’s transport landscape, offering both convenience and employment. It is estimated that approximately 1.1 million youth in Tanzania earn their livelihoods through boda bodas, collectively generating around Sh. 629.08 million in annual revenue. However, as this mode of transportation grew, so did its associated hazards.
Boda bodas have increasingly become a law unto themselves. They operate with such impunity that it defies logic. They openly flout traffic laws: running red lights, riding without helmets, failing to provide helmets to passengers, and carrying multiple passengers in a formation popularly known as “mishikaki.” They frequently overtake vehicles on the left – against regulations that require overtaking on the right. All this happens under the watchful eyes of traffic police, who appear to have given up on trying to control them.
The most alarming aspect is their recklessness, which often results in serious accidents. When accidents occur, they not only injure fellow riders and passengers, and collectively burden the public health system, but they also add to the scale of the urban menace in many Tanzanian towns.
According to the traffic police department, in 2023 Tanzania recorded 1,733 road traffic crashes, resulting in 1,647 fatalities. Boda boda riders and passengers constituted a significant proportion of these incidents, with motorcycle-related accidents being the leading cause of emergency hospital admissions. The cost of treating accident victims is extremely high. Data from the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute shows that the cost of treating major trauma and surgery cases is around Sh. 800,000 per patient. Head injuries alone escalate costs to Sh. 4 million per case.
Boda bodas are not unique to Tanzania – they are found across many African countries. However, the same level of chaos is not witnessed in countries like Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Rwanda or South Africa. In these countries, motorcyclists wear helmets, carry only one passenger, and strictly adhere to traffic rules.
The Traffic Department must strengthen regulation and rigorously enforce road safety laws, including mandatory helmet use and passenger limits. Furthermore, compulsory licensing and rider training programmes should be implemented nationwide through accredited driving schools.
“Boda bodas have increasingly become a law unto themselves. They operate with such impunity that it defies logic.”
“A rat that is seen during the day is chasing what will burn the granary at night”
📩 Elly Manjale is an economic, business and political issues writer.
📧 Email: emanjale@gmail.com
