Editorial

EDITORIAL

Bodabodas and Bajajs must respect, obey law

The nationwide crackdown on reckless bodaboda and bajaj operators is welcome but the country needs lasting discipline beyond periodic police operations. With 287 lives lost in motorcycle crashes last year, tolerance of dangerous riding is indefensible.

These services provide employment and affordable transport, connecting neighbourhoods that conventional buses cannot adequately serve. Their economic importance, however, makes compliance essential. Every operator must obey traffic signals, respect pedestrian crossings, wear appropriate protective equipment and observe passenger limits. Earning a living cannot justify endangering another.

Anyone injured, intimidated or forced off a pavement by a reckless rider understands the anguish behind public frustration. For victims, this is more than an inconvenience: It can mean permanent disability, lost income or bereavement. Authorities must also confront offenders who use motorcycles for theft and muggings, without treating every rider as a criminal.

Identification should become compulsory and verifiable. Reflective jackets must display large, unique numbers linked to registered riders, vehicle plates and ownership records. Motorcycles and tricycles should carry clearly visible identification markings. Standard colours within each region, supported by district codes, would help passengers and witnesses identify operators quickly.

Rwanda offers lessons in motorcycle transport regulation and enforcement. Tanzania should also examine measures adopted in Mali and elsewhere, assessing what works. Why should orderly operations remain beyond our reach when other African countries are pursuing them?

The Traffic Police need faster, reliable patrol motorcycles, trained personnel, communication equipment and digital systems for recording violations. Effective enforcement requires coordinated interception and evidence gathering with safeguards against pursuits that expose bystanders to further danger.

Penalties must be predictable, proportionate and consistently applied. Repeat offenders should face licence suspension or withdrawal through lawful procedures. Corruption must never buy immunity. Transport associations should verify membership, support training and cooperate in identifying suspects.

Passengers, too, must reject overloaded vehicles and demand helmets. Government should publish enforcement results so citizens can judge progress.

This campaign must establish a permanent culture of responsibility. The country cannot keep paying for preventable recklessness with hospital budgets, shattered families and human lives. Firm, fair enforcement is overdue.

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