While the unfortunate political events had captured all the attention over the last weeks, on the streets, a battle between ride-hailing app riders and regular bodaboda users has been going on! Yes, there have reports of brutal attacks on ride-hailing app riders in various areas on Kampala like Bukoto, Makerere, Ntinda and several others.
So, the ’regular’ bodaboda riders have started taking the law into their hands! In one incident, a ‘regular’ bodaboda rider tried to shove a TaxifyBoda counterpart into the path of an incoming taxi! Yes, that is how insane this ‘street-war’ is getting!
In another brutal incident reported on social media, a SafeBoda rider was attacked by other regular boda-bodas as he was pairing a ride with a client. The ruthless attackers descended on him and beat him up. In the process, the helmet was also crushed!
While condemning the attack on the innocent SafeBoda rider, some critical social media users also noted something amiss; the state of the helmet! This has raised queries on the material used to make helmets and how ‘safe’ they really are.
A good motorcycle helmet is expected to protect your head from injury in case of an accident but here as one smashed to pieces by a mere fall on the ground.
When we asked SafeBoda spokesperson Damalie Wasukira on the safety of their helmets, she stated that their helmets are of high quality. She argued that the attackers are maliciously destroying them!
“Our helmets are high quality. If it’s an impact as a result of an accident, it’s safe. These attackers simply come with a mission to break them!”
She further revealed that the cases of the attacks are before Police.