In September 2020, Amend and the TotalEnergies Foundation embarked on a multi-phase project to develop a commercial motorcycle rider training program, pilot it and then roll it out in multiple African countries.
There are an estimated 27 million motorcycles in Africa, with around 80% of these being used commercially as motorcycle-taxis or for deliveries. Taking into account riders, owners and those involved in servicing the commercial motorcycle industry, motorcycles directly support the livelihoods of over one hundred million people across the continent. Motorcycles enable people to do business, get to work and access goods and services, including schools and hospitals. In many countries, motorcycles are drivers of the economy and society.
However, it is conceivable that 100,000 motorcycle riders and passengers lose their lives across the continent each year in crashes, not to mention the other road users, including pedestrians and cyclists, who are struck and killed by motorcycles. On top of this, motorcycles cause millions of injuries each year, with devastating effects for individuals, families, communities, healthcare systems and economies.
To combat the risk of crashes, we have developed a motorcycle rider training course specifically for commercial riders in Africa that is based on the UK’s Compulsory Basic Training. The training takes 10 hours over two days and has a strong focus on practical skills.
From 2020 to 2022, we have provided training to around 1,500 commercial motorcycle riders in eight countries across the continent. In each city where we provided the training, we held ‘graduation’ ceremonies to celebrate and draw attention to the program. Representatives from the government, TotalEnergies, and civil society learned about the importance of the motorcycle training and saw safety demonstrations from the motorcycle riders. The events also garnered considerable press coverage.