Editor,

RE: "Boda bodas are just a mirror reflection of our societies” (The New Times, January 28).

Boda boda (taxi-motos)is a manifestation of failed public transport system of any country. In countries with organised public transport system, Taxi-motos are non-existent. In other words, Taxi-motos is a just a response to gaps in the transport sector.

I don’t support boda boda especially in large cities like Nairobi, Kampala, Dar es Salaam, Kigali or Mombasa, because their cons far outweigh the pros. It’s a great nuisance, generate noise and air pollution, contribute to massive congestion and they are difficult to control.

Most flout traffic order and are sometimes used to spy places and provide an easy get away means for thugs who have committed crimes. Lastly it’s poor way of utilizing urban traffic spaces—4 boda bodas transporting 4 people occupy a space equivalent to for a minibus ferrying 30 people.

We need to rethink this model of urban transport system in East Africa; we should invest in urban commuter trains and large capacity buses. Boda bodas simply belong to the past.

Tom