Motorcycle taxi safety in Nepal
Safer motorcycle taxis as part of Nepal's public transport system.
Project details
Full project title: Motorcycle taxi safety in Nepal
Sponsor/Funder: UKAID through the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office under the High Volume Transport Applied Research Programme, managed by DT Global
Principal Investigator: Dr Jonathan Flower
CTS and other researchers:
- Professor Julie Mytton, Co-Investigator (Centre for Public Health and Wellbeing, UWE Bristol)
- Sunil Joshi, Co-Investigator (Kathmandu Medical College)
- Sanjeev Poudel, Senior Research Associate (NIRC)
- Prasanna Rama, Research Associate (NIRC)
Partner: Nepal Injury Research Centre (NIRC)
Start date: 1 July 2023
End date: 31 August 2024
Project summary
The project aim is to understand the place of motorcycle taxis in the public transport ecosystem in Nepal and methods of enhancing their safety. The project has four objectives:
- to understand the nature and operation of the motorcycle taxi system in Nepal
- to illustrate the safety and personal security risks of its use
- to identify necessary changes in policy and regulation
- to synthesise knowledge and understanding with outputs from the NIHR funded SAFE Trip Nepal programme on improving the safety of bus transport, in order to get a full picture of the public transport ecosystem.
Anticipated impact
Public transport users would benefit by having access to safer more regulated motorcycle taxis, which may include the provision of a helmet and separated road space. Other road users would benefit through a reduced likelihood of collisions between motorcycle taxis and other road users and through increased use of electric vehicles. Operators and rideshare app platforms would benefit from policies that allow them to make a profit while providing a safe, clean, and convenient form of transport. Lessons learnt can be applied across Nepal and shared with other counties in the sub-region where motorcycle taxis feature.