Safer motorcycle taxis as part of Nepal’s public transport system - Final report

Flower, Jonathan; Mytton, Julie; Poudel, Sanjeev; Lama, Prasanna; Kumar Joshi, Sunil

Abstract

The study sought to understand the nature and operation of motorcycle taxi (MCT) operations in Nepal and identify potential changes in policy and regulation that could improve safety for riders and passengers. A mixed methods approach was used which included an analysis of secondary data from crash reports, a structured literature review on the MCT systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and collected qualitative data from key informant interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders.

Of the 1.5 million motorcycles in the Kathmandu Valley about 190,000 are used as MCTs. There is a lack of routine disaggregation of motorcycle crash data by the police which leads to an under reporting of MCT crashes, injuries and deaths in Nepal. Taken with the lack of reporting of MCT crashes in the media the net result is that the public are ill-informed of the risks associated with using MCTs.

Mitigating the risks of MCT crashes and injuries could be summarised from the literature as knowing and following the traffic rules, correct helmet use, limiting total ride time and distance, owning a suitable motorcycle, undertaking rider safety training and then practising safe riding behaviour. However, much less evidence is available from evaluations of interventions or policy changes to make MCT systems safer.

The interviews and focus groups raised additional risk factors such as safety issues raised by passengers and riders under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, and riders distracted by mobile phones; personal safety concerns of MCT particularly female passengers; the need for changes in legislation to ensure that all riders and passengers are insured in the case of a crash; the (poor) quality of the road environment as a factor for causing crashes.

Evidence from the project will be helpful in finalising the regulations outlined in the draft two-wheeler directive that was prepared by the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) in 2023.
Stakeholders agreed a set of recommendations for operators and regulators to consider.

• Report Type: Project Report
• Acceptance Date: Dec 9, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Dec 17, 2024
• Publication Date: Dec 17, 2024
• Deposit Date: Dec 18, 2024
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/13535522
• Publisher URL: https://transport-links.com/hvt-publications/safer-motorcycle-taxis-as-part-of-nepals-public-transport-system