Authors :
Kaputu Nzila Georges; Kuyunsa Mayu Alain; Banze Mukanya Anjou
Volume/Issue :
Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 9 - September
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/4dnknjd8
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26sep385
Note : A published paper may take 4-5
working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and
ResearchGate.
Abstract :
In Kikwit, motorcycle-taxi activity sits at the intersection of employment scarcity, everyday mobility and road
injury exposure. This article evaluates these three dimensions within one empirical design rather than treating them as
separate policy questions. Field evidence gathered in 2024 covered 384 participants: 240 drivers, 104 service users and 40
owners or other actors connected with the activity. Driver data were used to describe livelihood dependence, operating
arrangements, work intensity, safety practices and governance perceptions; user data documented accessibility; and a
multivariable logistic model examined correlates of having reported at least one crash in the preceding 12 months.
Keywords :
Crash Involvement; Governance; Informal Employment; Kikwit; Motorcycle Taxi; Road Safety; Urban Accessibility; Working Conditions.
References :
- R. Cervero, Informal Transport in the Developing World. Nairobi: United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UN-Habitat), 2000.
- D. Ehebrecht, D. Heinrichs, and B. Lenz, “Motorcycle-taxis in sub-Saharan Africa: Current knowledge, implications for the debate on informal transport and research needs,” Journal of Transport Geography, vol. 69, pp. 242-256, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2018.05.006
- F. Owino et al., “The urban motorcycle taxi sector in Sub-Saharan Africa: Needs, practices and equity issues,” Urban, Planning and Transport Research, vol. 12, no. 1, 2354400, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/21650020.2024.2354400
- World Health Organization, Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023. Geneva: WHO, 2023.
- K. S. Nambiza, A. Neven, R. Peter, W. G. Kazaura, and K. Brijs, “A systematic PRISMA review of traffic crashes, risk factors, determinants of risk behaviors, and interventions among motorcycle taxi riders,” Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, vol. 116, 103438, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2025.103438
- L. Diaz Olvera, A. Guézéré, D. Plat, and P. Pochet, “Earning a living, but at what price? Being a motorcycle taxi driver in a Sub-Saharan African city,” Journal of Transport Geography, vol. 55, pp. 165-174, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2015.11.010
- T. Courtright and R. Behrens, “The role and impact of motorcycle-taxis: A systematic review,” Transportation Research Procedia, vol. 89, pp. 104-116, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2025.05.050
- R. Chetto et al., “Emerging business models and service options for motorcycle taxis: Insights from 10 cities in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Transportation Research Procedia, vol. 89, pp. 327-337, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2025.05.065
- T. Phippard, “Urban fractures: Mobility, risk and the accidenté in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of Congo,” Africa, vol. 93, no. 1, pp. 140-158, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0001972023000165
- R. Nkeke Okar-Mbel, S. Ntuaboy Osonkie, F. Kuzanwa Olame, and G. Yamba Ekow, “Formalisation, contraintes et perspectives du secteur taxi-moto à Kikwit (2018-2024),” Revue Internationale de la Recherche Scientifique, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 439-449, 2026. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18346448
- L. T. Truong, H. T. T. Nguyen, and R. Tay, “A random parameter logistic model of fatigue-related motorcycle crash involvement in Hanoi, Vietnam,” Accident Analysis & Prevention, vol. 144, 105627, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2020.105627
- K. Muni, O. Kobusingye, C. Mock, J. P. Hughes, P. M. Hurvitz, and B. Guthrie, “Motorcycle taxi program is associated with reduced risk of road traffic crash among motorcycle taxi drivers in Kampala, Uganda,” International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 294-301, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1080/17457300.2019.1594952
- K. Muni, O. Kobusingye, C. Mock, J. P. Hughes, P. M. Hurvitz, and B. Guthrie, “Motorcycle taxi program increases safe riding behaviours among its drivers in Kampala, Uganda,” Injury Prevention, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 5-10, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2018-043008
- P. Pochet and G. Lesteven, “The spread of motorcycles in sub-Saharan Africa: Dynamics and public issues,” Transportation Research Procedia, vol. 82, pp. 3237-3250, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2024.12.097
- S. Ntramah et al., “Safety, health and environmental impacts of commercial motorcycles in Sub-Saharan African cities,” Urban, Planning and Transport Research, vol. 11, no. 1, 2259233, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1080/21650020.2023.2259233
In Kikwit, motorcycle-taxi activity sits at the intersection of employment scarcity, everyday mobility and road
injury exposure. This article evaluates these three dimensions within one empirical design rather than treating them as
separate policy questions. Field evidence gathered in 2024 covered 384 participants: 240 drivers, 104 service users and 40
owners or other actors connected with the activity. Driver data were used to describe livelihood dependence, operating
arrangements, work intensity, safety practices and governance perceptions; user data documented accessibility; and a
multivariable logistic model examined correlates of having reported at least one crash in the preceding 12 months.
Keywords :
Crash Involvement; Governance; Informal Employment; Kikwit; Motorcycle Taxi; Road Safety; Urban Accessibility; Working Conditions.