The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has partnered with mobility services provider AA Kenya to offer Boda boda riders an opportunity to get licensed at Sh100 every day for 61 days.
This is part of the recently launched National Road Safety Action Plan 2024-2028.
Dubbed ‘Boda License na Mia, the initiative seeks to encourage as many Boda boda operators as possible to get licensed, to reduce road fatalities.
According to official data, out of the over five million riders who operate in the country, only two million are licensed.
NTSA proposes to introduce new regulations to monitor the sub-sector to improve compliance and reduce fatalities.
"Most riders get into the sector informally through peer-to-peer training and therefore do not seek the required professional training and licenses,” says Francis Theuri, CEO of AA Kenya.
According to him, high compliance fees prevent these riders from getting licensed and as a result, many of them resort to paying bribes of between Sh50 to Sh100, when they are caught by county authorities and law enforcement officers, who often harass them for non-compliance.
“The Boda boda riders appreciate the need for licensing but find the overall cost which includes Sh8,000 for training plus Sh2,450 as NTSA fees prohibitive,'' Theuri said.
Last year, 9,996 people were directly affected by motorcycle crashes from May 2022 to October 2023.
Comparing pillion passengers and bodaboda operators, the latter are more likely to die as a result of a motorcycle crash, constituting 74 per cent of the total number of deaths.
In April, the Ministry of Roads and Transport officially launched the National Road Safety Action Plan 2024-2028.
The launch marked a significant milestone in the government’s ongoing efforts to safeguard the safety and well-being of every citizen on roads by curtailing the alarming rate of road accidents.
“We all use Boda-bodas, they support many micro and small enterprises as well as small-holder farmers. They do our deliveries, get us from point A to B and handle our emergencies,'' NTSA chairman Manoj Shah said.
"Acknowledging the significant role of the Boda Boda sector, we must recognize the need for more effective regulation."
Founded as an automobile importer more than 100 years ago by an ex-military officer, Lionel Galton Fenzi, AA Kenya has diversified to the provision of several other services including driver training and motor vehicle valuation.
It also deals in inspection, car insurance brokerage, road rescue, tracking, and fleet management among others.
The firm has over 62 branches countrywide, offering professional driver training across all motor vehicle classes.
