A Descriptive Study on Assessing the Socioeconomic Contribution and Meeting Legal Requirements of Bajaj Drivers in Mogadishu, Somalia Feb to June 2022

Introduction: The growing population has placed a higher demand on the public transport system, and yet they have not been able to cater for the needs of people of all socioeconomic groups. People go for Moto Bajaj services as they find them more flexible in many ways such as timing, routes, destinations etc. They provide door-to-door services and are easily accessible and affordable. Moto Bajaj can be hired anywhere anytime, and prior booking is not required. In the cities, the number of Moto Bajaj is also very high, getting a Moto Bajaj is almost always an easy task. Methodology: The study used a descriptive cross-sectional survey strategy, as the respondents and data collection methods were relevant and cost-effective in this method. The study had a sample of 385 participants of Bajaj drivers as the primary source of the data. The data collected was primary data. The data was collected through a Kobo collector with trained enumerators. The data collection period was three days. To ensure data quality, a data expect supervisor was hired who was technically supporting the data collecting, cleaning, and providing frequent feedback to the enumerators. Result: Based on the study of the demographic characteristic, objectives and research questions, the study found that the average age of the drivers is 27, and one-third of the drivers were teenagers. Regarding whether the driver had a license or not, the study revealed that most drivers had a license; however, there were 18% who either did not have a license or had invalid licenses and most of them had a license for a period of 4 to 6 years. A survey showed that there was a significant number of unregistered and unlicensed Bajaj drivers. Therefore, to take proper actions against the driver and owner in case of accident, robbery, or misuse was impossible as there is no number plate in the Moto Bajaj rickshaw for tracking. Tax payment revealed that 3% of the Moto Baja drivers do not pay tax; however, this needs further investigation and research for a large sample size which means excluding possible sampling error and data representation. Conclusion: The Moto Bajaj has a significant contribution to both the livelihood and plays a key role in the market economy in Somalia. The Moto Bajaj created an opportunity for the market economy and contributed to the livelihood of the people living in the Banadir region. The drivers are too young, there is a need to strengthen the legal driving permission requirement, considering ages. Bajaj’s work contributes to the provision of education, health, housing, and a significant number of family dependent on it. There is a number of Bajaj with no License nor registered and do not pay tax. Recommendation: To put effective legal requirement policies in place or implement them effectively, these may include ensuring age legal requirements for driving and ensuring drivers are licensed and ensure that drivers have valid licenses, and ensure that they are well trained on the legal driving requirements and finally, to motivate the Moto Bajaj drivers as they contribute and are part of the players in the market economy, as they may be granted extended time period for tax payment.