Motorcycle taxi drivers in the city of Maroua wear an orange uniform marked with an identification number (FRANÇOIS ESSOMBA)

The metropolis of Douala, the commercial capital of Cameroon, has experienced an explosion in its population over the years, which has changed its social dynamics and given rise to new anchors that sustain the everyday life. The emergence of an alternate mode of transportation to keep the city moving is part of this change.

Motorcycle taxis, also known as “bend-skin,” first debuted in Cameroon in the 1990s, and have since become an essential mode of transportation in Douala. As the city’s roads are always crowded, especially around the rush hours, residents are forced to rely on motorcycle taxis, now totaling over 300,000 in Douala which can easily weave through the traffic, to get to their destinations on time.

Blandine Tagu, an economics student at the University of Douala, is one of those in favor of the motorbikes: “These two-wheelers allow us to move a little faster in downtown Douala, regularly gridlocked at rush hours. In addition, the drivers are generally willing to take us where conventional taxis do not usually go.”

The motorcycle taxi drivers come from all age groups, although the typical age is between 16 and 29 years. A majority of them have not had access to school education.

Motorcycle taxis are more than just a more convenient means of transportation. For Armand Nkoué, a motorcycle taxi driver, it’s a precious source of income. “Our work is extremely beneficial. In my case, I earn about $15 a day, and I save at least $300 a month. I have been doing this casual job for five years and I have already made many important plans for my future life. So, I think it’s a great boon in a country where the minimum wage is $80 per month.”

Nightmare traffic

While easing traffic congestion, motorcycle taxis, however, create their own woes. In Douala, motorcycle taxi drivers are notorious for their “freestyle” driving. They wait for passengers at crossroads and other busy locations. Any passer-by is readily accosted, even if he does not intend to have a ride by a swarm of drivers until he vanishes from their vision. At times, motorcycle taxis have totally jammed the roads in certain sections of the city, compelling other road users to find alternative ways to continue their journey.

Some motorcycle taxi drivers in Douala’s streets have formed the habit of stopping at a location known as Ndokoti. There the traffic is stifling. The area is packed with people, and motorbikes try to make their way through by whatever means possible. Everyone experiencing this chaos is quick to moan about the bad traffic situation, especially after encountering grueling traffic jams. Poor road conditions and insufficient transportation options are the main culprits.

A metropolitan city and one of the important financial centers on the African continent, Douala is an agglomeration that aspires to be more modern. With this in mind, Thomas Tchouffo, an architect working in the city, offered some ideas to reduce the regular congestion observed on the main roads: “The city of Douala should invest in a modern means of transport like the tramway, which Cameroonians have been waiting to see in their major cities for some years. He suggested that while waiting for the construction of these tramways, the interchanges and highways should be multiplied to make the traffic more fluid. And why not exploit the waterway, like the Wouri River that nourishes Douala, on which boats can carry passengers from one corner to another of the banks, he said.

A road full of motorcycle taxis carrying passengers (FRANÇOIS ESSOMBA)

Better management

Tagu, who thinks that traveling by motorcycle taxi in Douala is more advantageous than car at rush hours, also believes that in the medium and long term, this type of transport will become obsolete and will have to give way to more modern means of transport.

Nonetheless, at least in the short term, motorcycle taxi will still serve as a convenient vehicle to carry people through heavy downtown traffic and bring income to drivers.

In light of this, Alvine Ewane, a bank employee, emphasizes the need to manage this sector. “I believe that the authorities should keep a permanent eye on motorcycle taxis to avoid cases of aggression seen in some parts of the city,” he said. “And to solve this problem of insecurity, I suggest that the state should carry out a systematic census of all those operating in this sector and introduce a compulsory marking system to distinguish motorcycle taxi drivers from other motorcycle drivers, as is already the case in the city of Maroua in the far north of the country, where they wear an orange uniform, that carries an individual registration number. This could help the law enforcement agencies to better control this operation,” he added.

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