THEY WOWED US
THEY WOWED US
P
ublic motorbikes are the lifeblood of the Kigali transport system. They’re cheaper than taxis and have the advantage over buses in that they can drop you exactly where you need to go. They can avoid traffic jams, take detours, and they run any time of night. Yet moto drivers often have a bad rap. I’ve been using them regularly for over four years, and I will admit to having had a couple of close calls. From traffic bumps at high speed to sudden swerves and drivers smelling faintly of waragi. Traffic accidents are the second biggest killer on the continent, after HIV/AIDS, and 80% of traffic accidents in Rwanda involve a moto. A few weeks ago, my friend suggested I try SafeMoto. It’s an app that you download to your smartphone. Their slogan is: Motos Are Dangerous. Don’t Become A Statistic. The idea behind the app is that it acts as a booking service for moto drivers that have been trained and safety checked. According to their website, all drivers must have at least three years’ experience. They have a recruitment preference for people who are married with children, presumably because they are less willing to take risks with
their own lives. The app uses GPS to work out your location, then tells you how long it will take the nearest SafeMoto to get to you. You can see a little moto image getting closer, and you receive a text to tell you when it arrives. Since I hadn’t used SafeMoto before, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. This led to a slightly embarrassing moment when a normal moto pulled up. “SafeMoto?” I asked. “Yes,” he replied, probably not knowing what I was talking about. I hesitated for a moment, and in that moment the real SafeMoto arrived. SafeMotos are unmistakable. They have
36 The SERVICEMAG June - August 2016
a little red flag on the front and a large sticker. My driver, Frank, greeted me with a big smile. I asked him to take me to a small delivery company up the road, and he knew exactly where it was. He drove me there extremely safely. All of the prices are worked out by distance using GPS, so there’s no need to haggle. Whether you are a local or a tourist, the price is the same. There’s also an option on the app to dispute the price if you think it’s unfair. You can pay by cash or mobile money, which is really handy if you don’t have any change on you or want to keep track of how much you’re spending on transport. You also get to rate your driver, so there is a real incentive for them to stay safe. I think it’s a brilliant idea, and I’ll definitely be using them again. You can find out more on their website: www.safemotos.com and follow them on Twitter: @SafeMotos
Marion Grace Woolley