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※ Motorcycles riders (famously known as BODABODA) in Dar es Salaam are very common. To great extent they have been very much useful in ferrying people from place and another within city centre and its peripherals. Most of the drivers engaging in this business have no safety awareness and some of them ride without driving licence. Despite of this service which actually services the people with low income, has been the most accident casing agent. Sudden road accidents have been mostly caused by this group people. The statistics show that more than 16,000 boda boda related accidents occurs annually in Dar es Salaam city. More than 50% result in fatality and permanent disablement (https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/news/national/tanzania-loses-over-16-000-people-annually-to-boda-boda-accidents-4024338 ). There are more 22,000 motorbike riders in Dar es Salaam City
Dar es Salaam City has a population of about 6 million people (National Census 2022). Most of the available and accessible means of transport is by the use of motorcycle commonly known as ‘bodaboda’. Despite the availability of this means of transport, the subsector has been causing road traffic accidents for many years consecutively. It has been stated that more 16,000 traffic related accidents have been caused by the bodaboda drivers in the city of Dar es Salaam. More than 50% of these accidents have been fatalities and permanent disabilities. Most of the bodaboda drivers have neither attended the training nor license possessions. Though the subsector has been regarded to provide informal employment for informally educated youths in Tanzania. Unfortunately, the enforcement of the law has remained dormant and not active as it should be. The purpose of this project is to create intensive awareness programs for the motorbike drivers on the need of complying with the national and international road safety law/regulations. The goal is to start with at least 20-50 motorbike drivers in turn these will act as peer educators to the rest of their colleagues. In some cases, these will act as ‘watch dogs’ to others while in the process of impacting the good intention of the objectives underlined in this proposal. Furthermore, the project will use the available social media, TVs and radio to cascade the road safety awareness to the rest of the business groups in Dar es Salaam and other parts of the country. The general purpose of this project is to create general awareness on road safety among the motorbike drivers to start with Dar es Salaam and later to the whole country upon the availability of funding sources. This project is necessary as it will act as a benchmark for tackling the problem in Dar es Salaam City and the whole Tanzania.
Due to the budget constraints, we opted to contact the their leaders in two stations (Bunju A& Bunju B) to identify the approach to be used to identify at least select 25 participants who would undergo the intensive training on road safety awareness. We consulted their informal readers and we set criteria that the individual had to be the ones that have morals in learning and ready to undergo behaviour change at least at this stage. The nomination took only 25 motorcycle riders. These participants were to be trained so that they become trainee of the trainers while at their working groups or in their future endeavours.
We conducted a one-day intensive training on road safety awareness whereby we had traffic polices and EDUMATA staff. The participants were divided into focus group discussion and discussed and presented the challenges facing the subsector and what should be done. The challenges identified mainly were: 1) riding without gears (2) Lack of funds to undertake regular training (3) riding without licence due to high fees vested (4) some of riders are under 18 years which is against the law (5) Bribery (6) Lack of saving (7) The subsector is not formally recognised by the Government (8) lack of health insurance.
Most of the bodaboda drivers have neither attended the training nor license possessions. Though the subsector has been regarded to provide informal employment for informally educated youths in Tanzania. Unfortunately, the enforcement of the law has remained dormant and not active as it should be. Recently, our organization conducted a training on road safety to 25 Motorcycle drivers. We called a training as planting the 'seed' of knowledge. The aim of sampling the few ones we wanted to have more discussion with them to find out what is the problem and what should be done. They grouped into 4 groups each with 6 people. The findings were that most of them (22) hire a motorcycle and pay on daily basis, 15 had no driving licence, 9 who had licence, 5 of them had expired licence and neither of them had used a right channel to get the driving licence, they only bribed and the licences were brought at hands. When asked why don't they have driving licence, the response was that the licence cost much that they cannot afford to pay such expenses either for renew or obtaining them for those who did posses them.
The training event was documented and aired in the most popular East African Television. The documentary has been compile for future use in training. Furthermore, the training event is planned to shared in social networks e.g facebook, linkedIn, Whatsap groups and Instagram.
Currently, EDUMATA is compiling the report on the training that was conducted on 10th June 2023. However, the mobilization, preparation and coordination commenced early in May 2023. The report is to be shared to Korea SHE Foundation and Tanzania Local Government for further actions.
We are mobilizing to have engagement in mid-September or in October 2023 with the government to discuss the actions that were raised from the training. EDUMATA is aiming to bridge the gaps between the subsector (motorcycle transport) and law enforcement. Currently, the subsector is considered to be informal, that is, it has not been recognised officially by the government.
In creating the project sustainability, EDUMATA has created a platform of where participants will be constantly providing their feedback to EDUMATA. The identified participants have been ‘highlighted’ to act as ‘Seed’. Thus, we have planted the seed of road awareness training in these 25 people of whom we have scheduled to be meeting them on monthly basis (even if for an hour or two) to know the progress between themselves and others in the same localities.
Furthermore, close monitoring with to these 25 drivers will be made so as to grasp the impacts in terms of road awareness skills and knowledge. These drivers have attained psychology training on life skills, their values and their contributions to the communities and families, thus, their behaviour and perception are likely to change for themselves but also those working with them (colleagues and customers).
We have advised them make savings; in these we have contacted one of the prominent to open the saving account for these 25 motorbike riders at a discount rate so that they can start savings. This will assist them to attain other issues like health insurance and paying fees for driving licences and purchasing the riding gears.
As the project itself was identified as “planting seed”. EDUMATA wishes to that the seed that we planted grows father brings sheds to other in this motorcycle transporting sector. Thus, the following are the planned activities to make sure that the project brings impacts to our community.
3.Purchasing riding gears to enhance the driver’s safety and remain as role model for other drivers
for their income instead of hiring motorcycles and paying expensive rate per day to fulfil their contract.
3.1 Expected outcome:
1.Information, Education and Communication materials regarding road safety laws and regulation produced and translated into friendly language which swahili and given to the participants. The soft copy of it will be shared in organization various social media (youtube, instagramme, facebook, linkein and twitter