On Sunday June 26, NTV, during the weekend edition ran a story about the tricycle commonly known as the ‘tuk tuk’. It was suggested that the tuk tuk would be a better alternative to the boda boda menace in Kampala and other parts of Uganda.
Thousands of people have lost lives as a result of boda boda accidents. The casualty ward at Mulago hospital registers a high number of accidents and most of these are attributed to boda bodas.
There are many different tuk tuk types, designs, and variations. The most common type is characterised by a sheet-metal body or open frame resting on three wheels, a canvas roof with drop-down side curtains, a small cabin at the front for the driver (sometimes known as an auto-wallah) with handlebar controls, and a cargo, passenger, or dual purpose space at the rear.
A tuk tuk can carry more than three passengers at a time and are safer compared to the boda boda since one is protected and cannot travel at high speeds as boda bodas do. They are also best suited to narrow, crowded streets, and are thus the principle means of covering longer distances within urban areas. This is a venture that Ugandans should embrace. In neighbouring Kenya, tuk tuks are widely used as a means of transport and also in Nigeria where they are commonly known as ‘Keke’. Some companies have now embarked on importing them to Uganda and hopefully it will gain momentum very soon.
jkhaukha@livingstone.ac.ug
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