// the playbook
Rules that
bring you home.
the boring ones. the ones that actually work.
Brian says the helmet strap is what actually saves him. a loose helmet is a hat, he says. he's right.
Boda riders
- 01
Two helmets, always strapped. A certified helmet cuts head-injury risk by 42%. A loose one is luggage.
- 02
The 60-second check. Brakes, tyre pressure, mirrors, lights, chain. Most mechanical crashes announce themselves before they happen.
- 03
No lane-splitting at speed. Filtering through stationary traffic is one thing; threading moving lorries at 60 km/h is a funeral with wheels.
- 04
One pillion, sensible goods. Overloading kills steering and braking — and voids any insurance.
- 05
Rain = half speed. Wet murram and painted lines become ice. Double your following distance under rain.
- 06
Earn the 5-star badge. Join a registered stage, log safe trips, climb the leaderboard. Safe riders win contracts.
Drivers & taxis
following distance on tarmac. double it in rain.
including the matatu back seat. it's the law, and the law is a good idea.
texting while driving is blind driving. no argument.
the legal limit is 0.08. the sensible limit is zero.
equals 0.05% BAC. stop for 15 min every 2 hours on upcountry.
children don't judge speed like adults. neither should you.
"the best drivers I know are the ones who lift off first."
Walking smart
-
Face traffic when there's no walkway. You can't dodge what you can't see coming.
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Cross at zebra lines and footbridges. Look twice. Eye contact before you step.
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At night, wear something reflective or carry a torch. Be the light someone arrives by.
-
Never assume a driver has seen you. Assume they haven't — and you'll cross when it's actually safe.
-
Phones down at every crossing. The Instagram post can wait.
Matatu crews, from crews
we asked the Swift Matatu Sacco what works. this is their short list.
- 01
No boarding over capacity. Ever. The next matatu is coming. We promise.
- 02
Announce the belt check before moving. "Mama, click your belt please." Loudly. So the driver hears you and doesn't move.
- 03
Driver rests after 5 hours continuous. The passenger's aunt is not a rest stop.
- 04
No phone calls while loading. One hand, one job. The phone is not the job.
- 05
Report reckless drivers. Protect the stage's name. The chair will back you.
⬤ from the stage
We're not a taxi, we're a family.
"When you load a mother with her baby, load the baby first. That's all it is."
— Joseph, Swift Matatu Sacco, Bwaise.
Night and rain.
Most fatal Ugandan crashes happen after dark. The fix is stupidly simple: working lights, reflector strips on every boda and bicycle, reflective jackets for cane-walkers, dipped beams for oncoming riders.
be the light somebody arrives by.
join a night walk