Market News

Motorcycle sales rebound to pre-pandemic levels

boda-boda

Motorcycle sales rebounded to pre-Covid levels in July as the economy reopened and movement restrictions eased, new data shows. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Motorcycle sales rebounded to pre-Covid levels in July as the economy reopened and movement restrictions eased, new data shows.

The data compiled by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that 18,265 units were sold in July, which was more than three times the low of 5,099 units sold in April, when the Covid-19 restrictions were at their toughest.

As a result of the slowdown in sales between April and May, the total for the first seven months of the year (109,391 units) was 14.7 percent lower compared to the corresponding period in 2019, when 125,522 units were sold.

Motorcycles have risen in the past decade to become one of the most convenient modes of transport in Kenya, with boda bodas now a common feature both on urban and rural roads.

The boda boda segment is expected to drive motorcycle sales in coming years.

UK-based market survey firm ReportLinker said in a study that Kenya’s two-wheeler market is expected to grow at a compounded annual rate of five percent in the next five years. ReportLinker said the sales will be driven by growing demand for affordable transportation modes, perpetual traffic gridlocks and rising fuel prices.

“Based on vehicle type, in terms of volume, in 2019, the motorcycle segment dominated the market and is expected to maintain its dominance over the next five years as well. Kenya’s transport system, especially in rural areas, is not very well developed,” said ReportLinker.

The popularity of motorcycles as a means of public transport is however a concern due to the high accident rate that they are experiencing, largely due to failure to follow road rules by both the riders and vehicle drivers.