Keep Motorcycles Out of Juba!!
By Madit Them Arop, Juba, South Sudan
April 28, 2018 (PW) — Motorcycles’ operation activities have remained much brutal and unsafe to owners, road users and general public in absent of strict traffic laws. As riding service flow in streets of Juba, thousands have benefited in double ways. Owners received income when users paid for riding services. The little income supports either family or individual.
A good thing! Despite that fruition, all motorcycles imported into the country ended up in streets for different purposes, whether for commercial or personal use. On reality stand, trading motorcycles are mainly for sales to public after traders’ importation. Here, the interested public buys at an affordable cost.
Anxiety comes up during utilization of these valuable properties. Scale of benefits and result of services have undisclosed facts worth peeling further. It is known, at present capacity, traders who supply this country with commercial motorcycles do it in good course even buyers who used them as “boda-boda” means for local transport.
However, motorcyclists’ roles have turned into a number of things that affect the entire city. One of issues is disobedient of traffic laws and regulations. Present of motorcycles in plenty have increased level of impatient, short cuts with wrong turns. Traffic lights in the city meant to control traffic movements and required all road users to obey this rule, is only seen being applied to drivers of motor vehicles minus motorcyclists’ even bicyclists.
Letting loose such rule, its end result has impacts to ongoing and incoming traffic users. 90% of motorcycles’ riders reported not abided by traffic laws and such neglect have affected control of smooth use of public roads. That 90% also have contributed to major accidents occurs in the city. On daily basis, accidental death of citizens occurred due to reckless riding, and statistics shown that motorcycle riders are heavily responsible.
In great number, unintended death usually affected motorcyclists, they highly become the victims. Results always have survivors with broken limbs, scary fractures, and possible death!
Once an accident occurred, (possibly a motorbike collided with a car), it’s the motorbike rider is victimized while the car driver becomes responsible for the incurred cost regardless of who was wrong. In case of death, God forbid! Compensation is on full responsibility of the other party.
Another severest role motorcyclists invested in is facilitation of crimes. Grabbing of purses or handbags from women are so common. It’s so mind-boggling to comprehend this but reports have proven that it’s happening daily in streets of Juba. Great citizens have lost their lives most particular women; others have remained disabled or crippled due to injuries. While wrestling over the handbag, for example, a woman could fall on an object or tarmac road and eventually such injuries could lead to unending disability or probable death.
This then led to President of the Republic to declared that the “purses’ grabbers should be shot to kill.”
Also, it’s common that vehicles’ hijackers used motorcycles to pursue the activity. It’s clearly known as well that most of secretive activities are carryout and exhausted using motorcycles. Unknown gunmen, definitely make use of motorcycles to get by and act on target and be able to get away using motorbikes.
Equating between making money in order to make living and saving lives, choices become clearer. Businesses of motorbikes have high risks even those in these businesses could side with explanations being put forth. It’s inclusive and equally disastrous to all: riders, owners, and public.
The motorcyclists are, at some point attack, injured, and if there is resistance, killing is possible. There was an occasion where a motorcyclist took customer who claimed to have had no money on him and promised that the fare would be paid by a friend waiting at certain location. On arrival, indeed they found that friend waiting but with an iron bar in his hand; this friend came closer pretended to gave money for service to owner, instead he leaped and struck the motorist on the forehead using the iron bar he had, the motorist clasped and without delay both jumped on the bike and rode off.
It was an arranged crime. The victim was later rescued and taken to Juba Teaching Hospital where he narrated what had happened.
Here, life was put at risk, property taken, victim hospitalized and as a result, medication and bed demanded for money. Great loss over gain weighed in and dug burden of hopelessness on family directly.
Besides facilitation of crimes where money is made cheaply and in rough ways, future society generation is being dreadfully raised. Young boys turned to this business in abundant. The current economic situations have placed prices of motorbikes at higher peak while these boys have no regular incomes, but an increase of bikes in Juba City Streets is witnessed every day. One wonder how the poor boys afford such expensive Senkes, Boxers, you name them.
The society is responsible, that’s valid conclusion. “We have people responsible for supplying these Toronto Boys business,” said by one of residents who requested not to be named. “Yes, family and relatives could have few bikes on the road being used for family to generate income, but not in such a huge number,” that citizen continued.
Toronto Boys and Boda-boda phrases are new terms in prime history of this nation. With simplest explanation, boda-boda is associated with motorists or riders of motorcycles. The phrase routed from Uganda while Toronto is a baptized city in Uganda with appalling activities of motorcycle thefts.
Present of motorcycles have set public on concerned surveillance. Citizens are follows for information sake (intelligence) and for what they have (property). Every morning motorist attends to businesses hoping to carry out these main activities, or simply make money. Results have created insecurity and private way of living is at stake. It’s reported as well that boda-boda riders are used by individuals whose intention is to do harm to citizens or friends with personal or political differences. It’s expressed, in the process, that buying-off state of affairs is conducted; motorcycles are hired to take interest group to the planned site where brutal action is taken and later driven away using the standby bike(s). Others attached to family (as friends) or individual being targeted to get adequate information on residential areas, hang out places, time out from home/work and back to the houses are made known. Sometimes, boda-boda’s riders joined up and plan as a group. Other times, different groups plan against motorcyclists when there are jealous ills.
An added burning side is that motorcycles are taken at gun points through theft activities every day including vehicles. Others involved in totaled accidents as mentioned which put them at unrecoverable repair. Once a motorcycle involved in serious accident, it is considered gone and result may lack replacement, since the motorists are always reported as impatient, slapdash, and negligent.
Calling this situation a win-win or lose-lose scenario insert strength of unresolved conclusion. Above and beyond, this business of motorcycles is less precious over life of vulnerable population, and since it has gotten harsher, the alternative could help. There is a need to consider replacing all motorbikes with more vans (hiaces), auto rickshaws (tuk-tuks), and public buses. These are controllable and will exercise the same roles of motorcycles.
And here the government must have a role to play during transition as motorbikes are being spaced out and replace with auto rickshaws and buses.
It is being proposed that at all borders the government should stop entry of all motorcycles and spare parts of motorbikes and allow in only big buses, rickshaws, and mini vans. Also, the government should serve traders, general population including embassies abroad and within with the ban order of motorcycles in this country. Taxes should be raised on motorbikes smuggled in after the ban and owners must face justice, and there should too be no registration or renewal of both old and new plates after the ban order.
Acting on this proposal and implement it as part of enhancing traffic regulations as well as laws of the nation and general safety of population, insecurity caused by presence of motorbikes in abundant, which leads to too many accidents, facilitation of crimes, random robbing will eventually reduce, and general public including those in motorcycle’s businesses will have a peace of mind. And therefore, it’s government’s role to keep motorcycles out of Juba and from re-entering into the country once the ban order is issued.
This author is reachable at aropmadit@gmail.com
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