Covid-19 lockdowns have caused a significant reduction in public transportation services to stop the spread of the virus, presenting a huge challenge for those whose business relies on supplying affordable and safe mobility services.

Shell Foundation has supported SafeBoda since 2015. Modernising informal travel in East Africa, the ride hailing app brings together a community of well-trained, professional motorcycle taxi drivers, delivering world-class service.

Whilst restrictions on motorcycle taxis have been reduced in recent weeks during lockdown, SafeBoda entered into two strategic partnerships: one to help HIV positive patients and another, e-commerce operators in Kampala, Uganda.

They are working the Ugandan Ministry of Health (MOH) and Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) to make home deliveries of vital anti-retrovirals (ARV) and condoms during the lockdown.

For HIV positive patients needing regular medical supplies, the Covid-19 pandemic poses a heightened risk. With reduced services, the impact of disruption to treatment is hugely detrimental for many Ugandans who rely on public transportation to access their regular ARV refills.

Read more about how SafeBoda are enabling vital medical supplies to reach those that need it most in the New Vision article.

The company have also utilised their tech-enabled platform as an innovative, alternative platform for e-commerce. This has enabled market vendors to connect with last-mile customers as they can order supplies through the app.

SafeBoda partnered with the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) to develop the e-commerce platform, initially targeting 800 vendors. The initiative has also helped to maintain the livelihoods of the 18,000 SafeBoda riders, as the pre-existing, reliable, SafeBoda transport service then delivers the supplies to customers.

Read more about how SafeBoda’ s partnership with UNCDF is enabling last-mile customers access to produce from market-vendors read more on the UNCDF website.