Toyota Kenya has pledged its support for the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) boda boda safety campaign through the donation of three Yamaha Crux Rev A motorcycles and 100 helmets.
Over the years, motorcycle public transport has gained popularity from 6,250 motorbikes in 2006 to a current estimated 1.4 million registered motorcycles. The demand for boda boda services is significant across the country owing to its affordability and availability, and job creation for thousands of young Kenyans.
“As the sub sector grows, motorcyclists and pillion passengers continue to be overrepresented in Road traffic-related crashes, accounting for 39% (1405) of all fatalities as at October 2021. NTSA as part of its education and awareness programme is committed to ensuring boda boda operators acquire proper skills during training while at the same time focus on imparting road safety knowledge through sensitization activities,” said NTSA Director-General George Njao.
Despite the efforts for representation, the impact is minimal, as there is need to move away from the one agency to a multi sectoral approach and share the responsibility of addressing the challenges presented by the sub-sector.
On his part, Arvinder Reel, Toyota Kenya Managing Director said, “As a company, we are committed to promoting a safety – first mind-set across all our operations. It is for that reason that we offer rider training at the Yamaha Riding Academy in which riders are equipped with safety riding and basic maintenance skills. In addition to the training, we ensure that all motorcycles delivered come with a helmet and reflector jacket to promote rider and passenger safety.”
The boda boda Safety Campaign is also part of the NYS Nationwide boda boda Training Programme.