By Pempho Nkhoma
As one way of addressing high rates of road accidents involving motorcycle operators, the Road Safety Alert Foundation (ROSAF) is currently conducting motorcycle taxi (kabaza) safety training and licence programmes in different districts across the country.
According to the Malawi Police Service report, Malawi recorded 227 road accidents involving motorcycle taxis (kabaza) in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 14 per cent increase from the 200 accidents recorded in the same period last year.
Lessons that are covered during the training include defensive riding, Highway Code 1 and 2, first aid, and safe and responsible motorcycle riding.
ROSAF Executive Director Joel Jere told Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Wednesday that this initiative was part of their broader mandate as a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) to support the government’s efforts through the Department of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DRTSS).
“As ROSAF, we are committed to complementing the government’s efforts in promoting road safety, in line with the United Nations’ decade of action for road safety (2021-2030). Our goal is to help reduce traffic fatalities by ensuring that motorcycle operators are professionally trained and licensed,” Jere said.
He disclosed that they made progress, having already trained hundreds of motorcyclists in some parts of Blantyre, Kasungu and Jenda, with the programme expanding to other districts where mobilisation was underway.
“We are currently conducting the trainings in Blantyre, and we are simultaneously running similar lessons in Kasungu and Jenda, to be followed by Lilongwe and Mzuzu, before expanding to other districts starting December 2025,” he added.
However, Jere bemoans limited resources and a lack of awareness among rural motorcyclists about the importance of professional training.
The programme was operated using a self-sustaining model, based on a subscription fee of K130,000, which covers the full training, examination and DRTSS licensing process.
Chairperson for Malawi Coalition for Kabaza Stakeholders Association (MACOKASA), Moses Mwalabu, commended the programme and urged motorcycle operators to utilise these trainings for their safety.
“These trainings are very crucial for the safety of motorcycle operators, and we would like them to be spread across the country so that everyone can be safe,” Mwalabu said.
This ongoing program is part ROSAF’s long-term plan to formalise and professionalise motorcycle transport across Malawi, and its pilot phase runs up to September 30th, 2026, aiming to train and license 30,000 motorcycle operators.
