How bodaboda riders deny city dwellers comfort of walking on roadside pavements

An A Team security company staff caught forcing pedestrians to give way for him to pass through along Uhuru Highway near Railways overpass. [James Wanzala/Standard]

Walking on pavements is a matter of life and death for many city dwellers.

Boda boda riders and courier company riders have taken over pavements. They ride dangerously and hoot to force pedestrians to give way.

Most of these riders have no insurance cover and when they hit a pedestrian, they disappear fast.

A spot check along Mombasa Road and Uhuru Highway shows that motorcyclists on the two roads are the most notorious for harassing pedestrians.

Of all categories of road users, none faces a more pronounced risk than the pedestrian, if statistics by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) is anything to go by.

Road deaths

In 2016, of 2,965 road deaths, 1,097 were pedestrians, translating to 37 per cent of the total number.

As of March 6, 2017, pedestrian deaths were at 41 per cent of the total 546.

The situation is worsened by the fact that pedestrian facilities on our roads are minimal, insufficient and unsafe.

"We are forced to share the narrow walkways with boda boda riders and they are so rude when you point it out to them that they should not use the pavements. Some even threaten to hit you if you refuse to give way,” said Juliana Munuve, who we found walking along the stretch from Nyayo Stadium towards Uhuru Highway junction.

She added: “Traffic police mostly ignore them as they concentrate on guiding motor vehicles on roundabouts. A solution should be found to stop this menace by boda boda riders.”

Great risk

“Today in Nairobi, when walking on pedestrian walkways, you have to be on the lookout for boda boda riders approaching from any direction. This has made walking around town so dangerous. Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko should intervene on our behalf,” added Ms Munuve.

Julius Otieno, a Nairobi resident, blamed pedestrians for not standing firm that they have the right of way on walkways.

“We should gang up and refuse to give them space to pass. We are the ones who encourage them to do that with impunity by allowing them to pass between us,” said Otieno.

Otieno said complaints to traffic police officers manning traffic were not acted on, and the only way was to gang up and chase the riders from the pavements.

 

On some pavements, bollards (a short post used to prevent traffic from entering an area) have been put up but it has not helped much.

Flyovers have not been spared either. Some motorcyclists ride on them to avoid long routes.

This goes on mostly at the flyovers near Imara Diama on Mombasa Road, the one near Kobil Petrol station on North Airport Road and the one near General Motors.

NTSA, in partnership with the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development and the National Road Safety Trust, and with support from the Nairobi City County Government, has started a programme focussing on Nairobi’s eight high risk roads. These are Jogoo Road, Landhies Road, North Airport Road, Eastern Bypass, Waiyaki Way, Uhuru Highway, Mombasa Road and Thika Road.

The Save 1000 Lives campaign is a pedestrian safety initiative aimed at minimising pedestrian deaths by erecting pedestrian fences (guardrails) along these high risk roads. Under the programme, marshals will also be employed to ensure proper utilisation of the designated crossing points. Public education and awareness will also be incorporated.