Police in Gulu have banned boda-boda motorcyclists from operating at night. The ban stems from several cases of murder involving motorcyclists that have been recorded in Gulu town over the past one month.
Jonhson Kilama, the Northern Regional Police Spokesperson says police has banned boda-boda motorcyclists from operating beyond 10pm following the rise in the cases of murder in the town.
Kilama explains that the victims of the murders, who are in most cases found without identification papers, are believed to be boda-boda motorcyclists. He says police last month recovered four unidentified bodies from different wards in the town.
Kilama says the latest victim was found on Tuesday morning lying in a pool of blood in Lacor. He says the police suspect the body to be that of a boda-boda motorcyclist who could have been hired and later murdered by thugs.
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The police also want the cyclists to carry identification tags indicating that they are registered with boda-boda motorcyclists association.
The ban has been welcomed by both the local residents and the cyclists.
Bosco Oyem, a cyclist from Avenue stage says the ban will save him and his friends who operate at night from being killed.
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Richard Otto, another cyclist says he does not understand why some of his friends prefer riding at night after seeing their colleagues who have been killed.
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Dickson Otadan, another cyclist who operates next to Crane Bank on the main street, wants the police to extend the ban to 8pm in order to protect the cyclists from the thugs who harm them in the process of stealing motorcycles.
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Richard Okot, a resident of Lacor says he supports the ban because some boda boda cyclists who operate at night are allegedly involved in criminal activities.
