Public Transport: Togo’s moto-taxi and tuk-tuk riders coalesce into a central union group
Monday, 22 August 2022 16:58 
(Togo First) - Coming from all parts of the country, nearly 300 taxi-bike riders gathered, last Thursday, to set up the central union of taxi-bikes and trike riders (COSTT). The entity will directly handle talks with the government, relative to the formalization of the moto-taxi activity.
“Bringing together all taxi-bike unions into a group that will formalize is important, essential even, for the sector to operate efficiently; a goal which the government has always aimed to achieve,” said Dermane Tadjoudine, director of the road and rail transport office (DTRF)
It should be noted that a few weeks ago, the government announced the reorganization of urban public transport of people by cab, moto-taxis, and tuk-tuks.
The official added that the proper functioning of the new group of unions will contribute to the government’s ambition of making Togo a logistics hub and leading business center, in West Africa. "To have a hub, we need a transport system that provides reliable, safe, sustainable, and affordable road transport services for goods and people,” Tadjoudine said.
In Togo, 90% of people and goods moving across the country use taxis, taxi-bikes, and trikes, according to the government. And many young people work in the sector.
"The transport sector is one of the levers capable of generating strong and sustainable economic growth, notably through the creation of production-conducive externalities," reads the statement from the council of ministers held on July 25, 2022. On that day, the government said it was working on restructuring public transport in urban areas, especially the transportation of people with taxis, taxi-bikes, and trikes.
Esaïe Edoh
