LIKONI TUKTUK
BUSINESS
Tuk-tuk
means of transport is among the major transportation means in Likoni providing
a relatively larger percentage of employment among youths as drivers. Mohammed
Abubakar who is a tuk-tuk operator along Likoni-Ng’ombeni and Ujamaa- Mtongwe
routes reveals the story behind tuk-tuk transport specifically in Likoni.
Mohammed Abubakar is a 32
years old father of two who has worked for over eleven years as employed tuk-tuk
driver.
“Many tuk-tuk owners tend to
employ drivers who operate on different routes here in Likoni so most of these
drivers you see around here are not the real owners of the machines” says
Mohammed.
He further explains how this
journey of tuk-tuk driving has been since he was first introduced in the race
to date.
“This work has many challenges because every
day you wake up knowing that you have two sides depending on you at the end of
the day; that is your own family and the boss. The boss always requires Ksh
1000 on a daily basis then you have to look for what you have to present on the
table in your own house when the day counts.” He adds.
On the
other hand, the population of Tuk-tuks in Likoni is increasingly going high due
to high number of people who prefer tuk-tuk transport to any other means.
According to Mr. Abubakar; the number of tuk-tuks is currently very high
compared to the past two years. He admits that it is due to high demand as many
Likoni residents prefer tuk-tuks because they find it easily available and
relatively cheaper compared to other vehicles.
“The fare we charge depends on the distance of
the passenger’s destination from the stage; the highest amount mostly charged
is seventy shillings and that is from Likoni stage to Mtongwe. This makes it
affordable for most residents here.” He explained.
Every hustle has its own
challenge and according to Mohammed Abubakar tuk-tuk operation has a number of
challenges which need to be addressed with the organizations in charge of tuk-tuk
Sacco.
“Poor roads are one of the
challenges we encounter as drivers and this makes it difficult to maintain the tuk-tuk
under the condition of the roads we operate along. Most routes have pot holes
and are small not able to accommodate the number of vehicles operating along
them at times of rush. This leads to unnecessary traffic congestion and
accidents. Another challenge is insecurity cases mostly those who work on night
hours. We have lost two drivers on the same incident. Thugs pretend to be
passengers then they end up killing the drivers and grabbing the machines. The
county government needs to work on the issue because tax is paid on
these roads.” Mohammed pleaded.
The Likoni tuk-tuk stage condition is also
in a poor state and operators claim a proper stage which has enough space to accommodate
the high number of tuk-tuks. The tuk-tuks converge at the same stage restricted
for them while waiting for passengers crossing over from the Mombasa Island to
board to their various destinations.
Similarly, some of the tuk-tuk
operators have no required qualifications to operate along the roads. According
to Mohammed; there is a number of drivers who have no driving licenses and
still operate along the routes. This shows how the traffic officers are neglecting
the rights of some drivers may be through bribing. This has made competition to
go very high in this tuk-tuk sector. Serious traffic officers would rather help
to cub the issue of unqualified drivers.
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