Upgrading rural footpaths to motorcycle taxi tracks in rural sub-Saharan Africa

Motorcycle taxis have rapidly expanded throughout sub-Saharan Africa, providing many with affordable improved access to essential services. This paper reports on a project in 2021 to convert footpaths into motorcycle taxi tracks in central Liberia. Its community-based approach was documented in a manual to train future contractors in both the technical and social dimensions of track construction. The construction methodology is presented and discussed. It gives governments and donors a unique and significant opportunity to address isolation, improve the livelihoods of rural people and create more employment opportunities for Africa’s young population.