HOW TO INSTANTLY HAIL A BODA BODA RIDE IN UGANDA

With the increasing insecurities around the country, getting a boda boda ride that is safe has eluded and perplexed so many Ugandans out there and very many people even now fear to use the popular transportation service in Uganda. 

As the number of cars around the country increase, there are traffic jams that are building up each and every day on the city streets and other suburbs of the city and this is making it very difficult for people to reach their destinations in time and hence as a result very many people are deciding to use boda bodas as a means of transportation in Uganda.

 With the coming in of new transportation technologies like Uber, Lyft, and Safeboda, our lives in Uganda on the roads are becoming simpler and today I would like to give you some tips on how you can be able to hail a boda from any of these service providers most commonly Safeboda and Uber.

1. Start by downloading and installing an app for the boda boda hailing service on your Smartphone

In order for you to be able to access the services of the boda boda hailing service, you will need to install the application on your Smartphone. 

There are around four boda boda hailing services that you can use in Uganda and among these are Safeboda, Uber, Taxify Boda, and most recently Dial Jack that has just entered the market. 

All of these services have mobile applications that can be downloaded and installed by the users on their mobile phones.

2.  You should now create an account with one of these services

Now that you have successfully installed the mobile application on your Smartphone, you should now create an account with these hailing services by signing up for any of the services. 

You will need to provide the details about you as asked by the application and within a few minutes you will have been registered with the service.

3. You should now choose the destination where you are going

Since you have successfully obtained an account for the service, you can now start hailing rides right away. First things first, you will need to choose the destination where you are going. 

While doing this, it is advisable that you do use the names of buildings, streets that can easily be recognised by the riders. This will make your drop off point clear to the rider.

4. Select the point where you will be picked up by the rider

Some of the hailing services will automatically detect your location and they will mark it as your pick up point.

 Although, sometimes the application might choose a place which is actually a few meters from your location. In this case, you will need to input your location manually. 

Just like the way you will in put your drop off point, you will need to punch in the exact area where you would like to be picked up. This will help in avoiding any confusion.

5. Select the mode of payment that is suitable for you

Since we do have very many boda boda hailing services and therefore each of these services has its own way to ensuring that customers can conveniently pay for the service. 

If you are using Safeboda you will be able to pay using cash or just by using credits. 

But if you are using the Dial Jack service, you will be able to pay using MTN mobile money or Airtel mobile money and then you can also be able to pay for the service using cash. 

With all these options available, you will just need to choose the option that is very convenient for you.

6. You should now request for a ride

After you have been able to select the point where you will be picked and you have also selected your destination, the App will be able to show you the amount of money that you will be charged for the ride. 

The final cost of the ride is determined by the traffic, the time you waited and also very many other factors out there. 

The estimated price will help you get a rough idea of the amount of money that you will pay at the end of the journey.

 Now it is time for you to request for a boda boda ride and if you are using services like Safeboda or Dial Jack the request is straightforward since these services only offer Boda Boda rides to their users. 

But if you are using the services of Uber or Taxify, you will need to specify what kind of transportation service you will need. This could be the car service or the boda boda service. 

After you have requested for the boda boda service, the app will then start the search for the nearest rider to where you are located. This process of searching for the nearest ride to your location will take about 2 minutes.

 If you cannot find a rider at first, then you will need to give another try.

 This normally happens during the rush hours and if the rider you are waiting for is very far, you can decide to cancel the request and request again and this is simply because that rider might take too long to arrive at your location.

7. You should now wait for a call from the rider

In most cases the rider will call you on the phone number that you used while you were registering for the service. 

The rider must be asking you clarify upon your location or the rider will just be telling you that he is on the way coming to pick you up. 

When your rider has called, you should be free to tell him where exactly you are located. This could be a local area or place that is not available on the map.

8. You should make sure that you do stand on the right side of the road.

You should ensure that you do stand on the right side of the road so that you will be able to save money and also time for the rider as he turns towards you.

 Stand in the direction where you are going, that is where the traffic is flowing. 

You should also make sure that you do stand in a place where you can easily see your rider come towards you.

9. Ensure that you do stand in a very ideal spot where the rider can easily identify you

You should now ensure that you do get an ideal spot where the rider can easily see you. You should stay away from all the sidewalks where there are very many hawkers and move to a place where traffic is flowing freely.

10. Make sure that you do take note of the helmet number or the number plate of the rider picking you up

Since there are very many riders who are operating in the city, it is very possible that a rider from a service that you do use could be riding towards you and you should make sure that you do check out the number plate or the helmet number of the rider before you do jump on the ride to ensure that you are taking the right ride.

 If the helmet number of the rider and the number plate of the rider match those that are in the app.

11. Make sure that you do put on the safety gear and know the precautions

When the rider has arrived, the application will be able to notify you and after you have been able to meet him, you should ensure that you are provided with a hair net and also a safety helmet before you can start your journey.

 You will be able to reach your destination is a very short period of time.

12. Your payment

When you have reached your destination, the application will determine the amount of money that you will pay at the end of the journey. 

You will need to use the payment method that you selected while you were hailing the ride. With these simple tips you will be able to navigate through the city of Kampala and around  the country without any problems by hailing a ride.