Finding traction: using an 'upgrading footpaths to motorcycle taxi accessible tracks' construction and maintenance manual to increase impact and reach

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The spread of motorcycle taxis in rural areas in sub-Saharan countries has contributed markedly to socio-economic development, providing improved access to markets, health and educational facilities. The main beneficiaries are among the most marginalised and difficult to reach: semi-subsistence farmers, rural women and children. In addition, millions of often poorly educated youths with limited job perspectives are now involved in motorcycle taxi riding, making it an important job sector. So far, this has been a market-driven development, with no government or international donor support. In 2017 GIZ funded a novel project in northern Liberia which saw approximately 25 kms of rural footpaths (from farm to village and village to roadside) upgraded to motorcycle accessible tracks. Our ESRC/DFID 2015-2018 funded research 'at the end of the feeder road' assessed its socio-economic impact and found a significant and positive impact on rural lives and livelihoods, with few if any negative effects.Following a visit to the Liberia project site, a World Bank Technical Advisor - in the country to help in formulating the country's next strategic rural road infrastructure plan - was quickly convinced by the merits of the pilot project and by the study's findings. Track construction as an integral component of rural access was subsequently included in Liberia's national draft masterplan (2018-2038) for rural road infrastructure. When the study's findings were presented in November 2018 in Liberia to a panel of government officials, donors and civil society representatives, as part of our key stakeholder seminar, three important issues were brought up:- The Minister of Public Works indicated the need for a second pilot project (in a geographical different location) allowing for more impact data to be generated, and a clear methodology on how to upgrade footpaths to tracks;- The above mentioned WB TA referred to examples where rural communities in Liberia had spontaneously improved footpaths to allow for motorcycle taxi transport, ranging from side-clearing to strengthening foot-bridges. However, these initiatives suffered from a lack of basic technical/engineering know-how; - The PI and local research partner expressed their concern over the lack of track maintenance (a common problem with any type of road infrastructure) and the apparent absence of a community agreed model for this (expressed in a MoU).Following the encouraging findings of our socio-economic assessment, KfW, in collaboration with NGO WeltHungerHilfe, decided to fund a second pilot project in Liberia. The PI - with support from Swansea University's internal Global Challenges fund - has overseen the baseline data gathering exercise for this in May and June 2019. This addresses the first part of the concern expressed by the Minister and will increase the research's impact on national government and international donor policy. To address the other part (lack of methodology) and address the other two issues raised above, we propose to put together a manual on track construction and maintenance, freely accessible to national/local governments, donors, implementing partners, Liberian engineers and local communities. This manual will have simple technical drawings and QR codes linking to short, locally recorded construction and maintenance clips and include different templates of maintenance MoUs, so that local stakeholders (eg. community leaders; local government; motorcycle taxi unions; youth representatives; market women groups, etc.) can negotiate and agree upon the most appropriate maintenance models (eg. toll gates; household tax; community labour, etc.). To enhance what is a longstanding practice - community driven access improvement initiatives - we propose to disseminate copies of this manual to key rural stakeholders in three Counties, and facilitate and strengthen - via village workshops - the formulation of local policy and practice.