* They say they are committed to improving safety and bringing in better coordination between themselves and district council
* Also to bring in different opportunities such as loans to operators so that they can develop their businesses
By Winfrida Kamwana, MANA & Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
Operators of passenger motorbike taxis, commonly known as Kabaza, have been renowned of causing many accidents on public roads because of their recklessness and lack of proper traffic law enforcement.
But it seems concerned operators to this mode of transport, which seems to be a huge revenue earner, are keen to bring sanity as their grouping, named Malawi Coalition for Kabaza Stakeholders and Association (MACOKASA), say they are committed to improving safety and bringing in better coordination between themselves and district council.
MACOKASA has signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mchinji District Council in an effort to enhance safety among Kabaza operators in the district.
At the signing ceremony on Tuesday, MACOKASA national chairperson, Moses Mwalabu said “MACOKASA is set to not only bring safety to operators but to bring in different opportunities such as loans to operators so that they can develop their businesses”.
Mwalabu added that working in collaboration with Malawi Police Service and the Council, Kabaza business would be conducted in an orderly manner and help mitigate road accidents happening due to lack of inexperience among motorcycle taxi service providers.
Director of administration for Mchinji Council, Hastings Mlambuzi said this was a milestone in maintaining order in the Kabaza business: “The pedal and motorcycle taxi business is vital in our everyday life such that it needs to be operated under safety measures and the coming in of MACOKASA will help achieve that.
Mlambuzi said the Council was ready to work hand in hand with MACOKASA in awareness campaigns to educate operators about safety and following regulations.
Present was Mchinji Police Officer In-Charge, John Nkhoma, who emphasized that working with the association would help Kabaza operators abide by rules and regulations as they now have an association they could answer to.
“Most Kabaza operators do not follow rules and regulations because they operate on their own but the coming in of the association will help in creating by-laws that will not only safeguard them but also bring them to order,” he said.
Kabaza operators are the most annoying to recklessly crisscrossing public roads without indicators, without wearing helmets, without registration plates, not insured and driving with complete disregard of traffic rules.
They are the largest contributors of injuries as indicated by Malawi Orthopaedic Association (MOA) president, Moreen Sabawo in May last year, saying that increased road accidents are by Kabaza operators compared to motor vehicles.
During the commemoration of Africa Road Safety Day in 2022, Minister of Transport & Public Works, Jacob Hara also expressed concern over the increasing number of road accidents in the country which are caused by cyclists — a development which is making government to lose a lot of financial resources.
Hara said this when he cheered road accident victims at Mzuzu Central Hospital, observing that they are not adhering to road safety rules and regulations — while sharing worrying statistics that about 80% of the accidents are caused by the cyclists.
The Road Traffic & Safety Services indicated that a training manual had been developed after statistics indicated that about 20 motorcyclists lost their lives in 2015 with 144 lives lost in 2021 while in 2022, 121 motorcyclists lost their lives from January to June.
The Africa Road Safety Day was commemorated under the theme: ‘Cyclists, Adhere to Road Traffic Rules and Regulations, or Else, Hospital or Mortuary Awaits You!’ — and while it is expected of the traffic police to ensure road safety by policing the motorcyclists, their concentration is just on motorists.