Convenient or Nuisance? The Paradox of Motorbike Taxis in Rural Kenya. The Case of Rongo Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

This study sought to assess rural people‘s level of satisfaction with motorcycle taxi transport services, taking Rongo Sub-County, Kenya as a typical case. This awareness is crucial to transport planning, particularly in the pursuit of an equitable mobility system in rural Kenya, Africa and beyond. The main data collection tool was a semi-structured questionnaire which was complemented by a key informant interview schedule, focus group discussions guide and an observation checklist. The study found that while the satisfaction of the respondents ranged from neutral to satisfied there was a strong difference between groups. Most of the respondents were satisfied with the MT services, largely due to the physical attributes of the MT. Negative reasons were mainly related to MT riders‘ mannerism, unprofessional driving, and poor safety. Nonetheless, almost all respondents recognised the importance of motorcycle taxi transport in realising their needs of accessing locations and activities within and outside Rongo Sub-County. This paper strongly recommends that rural transport needs and options should be understood from the point of view of rural people (differentiated by age, gender, occupation and income) in order to provide better rural transport services that meet different needs.