As part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, a Ugandan innovator has come up with a plastic shield for motorcycles to protect both driver and passenger. The shield is seen as not just reducing body contact, which could spread the virus, but also adding security for motorcycle taxi drivers. Uganda has hundreds of thousands of motorcycles on its roads, and most of them work as taxis known as boda-bodas. But since April with the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has banned motorcycle taxis because of the close proximity between the driver and passengers. Uganda’s Ministry of Works and Transport says it is investigating the effectiveness of the shield. The ministry’s chief engineer, Tony Kavuma, says one concern is that passengers will wrongly believe the shield is all they need for protection. It’s not clear when Ugandan authorities will allow passengers back onto boda-bodas. Meanwhile, Dickson Ngirani said they are manufacturing more shields in anticipation of high demand.
SOURCE: VOA
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