Motorbikes push popular bicycles out of business

By Allan Kisia

Kakamega County

Motorcycles are the most popular means of transport in Western, especially for short distances.

They have revolutionised the movement of people and driven once popular bicycles out of business.

But the new the mode of transport comes with its fair share of misfortunes. As motorbikes become a common sight, so is the number of accidents involving them.

The accidents are so frequent that many hospitals have established special wards for boda boda accident victims.

At wards two and seven in Kakamega Provincial General Hospital, most patients are survivors of motorcycle crashes.

"Those with head injuries also make the bulk of patents admitted in ward six," says Nursing Officer-in-Charge of casualty department Loise Kwendo.

The hospital Administrator Ali Atemba said the institution receives many crash victims. "When boda boda bicycle taxis were popular, we used to admit fewer people because the injuries were light. With the motorbikes, the injuries are serious," he said.

Boda boda operators, however, still enjoy the monopoly of covering short distances, especially within towns, as they charge less compared to motorbikes.

Motorbikes have nonetheless flooded the sector. Mr Atemba observed that the cost of treating victims of motorcycle accidents is high compared to those involved in bicycle crashes.

High medical bills

"Personally, I don’t use these motorcycles, I walk. This is because the motorbike rider may not be trained or have the licence and insurance," he said.

He also revealed that most patients are unable to foot medical bills.

"Most people who use motorcycles are ordinary people who sometimes cannot raise Sh20,000 to buy implants," he said.

Ms Kwendo said hardly a day passes without getting several victims of motorcycle accidents.

"We only admit those with serious injuries, particularly those with head injuries. We manage most victims at the casualty and allow them to go home to ease congestion at the wards," she said.

She said those discharged are advised to visit the hospital for check ups. She also noted that the number of patients involved in vehicle accidents has gone down, and the motorcycles have become the leading ‘killer’. While speaking to The Standard at her office yesterday, Kwendo received five motorbike accident victims, two of them in serious condition.

She said most victims come with broken limbs, cuttings, head injuries and bruises.

"Men make the bulk of those who come here, and most of them are youth," she said.

Ms Beverly Wambani, the nursing officer-in-charge at Ward 6, said she gets victims of motorcycle accidents daily. Her counterpart at Ward 2, Mr John Nyabera, said the victims spend too much money on treatment.

"Patients are spending so much on platting, K-nail and K-wires. These are not available here and they come on order from Nairobi or Eldoret," he said.

He said some implants cost as much as Sh200,000. Western Provincial Traffic Enforcement Officer Roda Kananu said they have intensified the crackdown on motorcycle operators flouting traffic rules.

She said the number of accidents involving the motorbikes have increased drastically.

"The challenge is that you cannot arrest these people using a road block. They are very slippery and if you give a chase you might end up causing an accident," she said.

Ms Kananu has been calling public meetings with the operators and urged them to adhere to traffic rules.

"Some of them shift from bicycles to motorcycles. They will not have a licence, insurance or even a registered motorcycle," she said.

She said her office has been conducting road safety education through local FM radio stations.

"We also urge passengers not to get onto any motorcycle without wearing a helmet. We tell them not to let the rider speed," she added.

Cheap bikes

Road safety programmes are aired every Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday in several local FM radio stations. Most messages are aired in local languages.

Affordable motorbikes common in Western include TVS Max 100, TVS Sport, Kingbird, Focin and the latest arrival, Bajaj.

The motorbikes cost between Sh70,000 and Sh100,000 at local shops. They consume less fuel than the established brands, which cost up to Sh300,000.