ABSTRACT
The emergence of motorcycle taxis (boda bodas) has offered an alternative mode of transport in both rural and urban areas in Kenya. The proliferation of these taxis in Kenya have been partly due to zero tax rating of motorcycles below 250 cc by the government in 2008 and lack of reliable, affordable, and efficient public transport. Before the advent of motorcycle taxis, people, and especially women in rural areas, faced many mobility challenges, which boda boda appears to have improved. This improvement in mobility and accessibility has, however, been accompanied by gendered socio-cultural issues that affect the community in diverse ways. By virtue of gender dynamics, men and women have different mobility needs, and hence preferences. This situation leads to immobility, mostly among women than men. Whereas men are largely the riders of boda bodas, the pillions are mainly women. The objective was to examine how the sitting style and its acceptability influenced mobility or immobility among female pillions in Kisumu city. In addition, the study explored other factors like social distance between the rider and female passengers, dressing, and helmet-related issues affecting the safety of female passengers. Moreover, with the advent of COVID-19, more challenges have come up that would influence safety. The results indicate that boda boda transport is gendered in relation to culture, sitting style, helmet use, and dressing.
