Safaricom has partnered with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the National Boda Boda Association to promote a road safety initiative targeting boda boda drivers.
The initiative comes in the wake of increased travel and will entail a concerted educational campaign aimed at influencing behaviour change on the part of boda boda riders and passengers. The initiative will also call for responsible and proper usage of the road by all road users.
As part of the campaign, Safaricom in conjunction with NTSA and the Boda Boda Association will drive awareness on key safety areas. This includes the need to always obey traffic lights, avoid speeding or overtaking on the wrong side of the road, availability of helmets for boda boda riders and their passengers, and having an insurance cover.
The campaign is in response to the growing number of boda boda related fatalities, which accounted for about 40% of all the road crash fatalities reported in Kenya in 2020. It will also complement various efforts put in place by the government and other private sector players to promote road safety.
“Kenya’s boda boda industry has grown to become an integral part of the transport sector, and it also provides a livelihood for many. However, it has also become a leading cause of road-related incidents, and we want to play our part, however small, in creating awareness and driving a Zero Harm agenda, such that no one is harmed while on the roads,” said Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom CEO.
On her part, Agnes Odhiambo, NTSA Board chairperson said, “Over the years, Safaricom has been a key partner in driving our road safety agenda and we are pleased to once again join hands for an initiative that seeks to bring sanity to our roads. Given the fact that we are approaching the accident-prone December period, the timing of this launch couldn’t have come at a better time.”
The boda boda road safety campaign is part of Safaricom’s ‘Uteo wa Furaha,’ a festive-season campaign that aims to deepen customer engagement and experience. The campaign has seen Kenyans around the country treated to free fuel, employees spread cheer to children’s homes, and customers delighted at on-ground activations.