Since 2005, Transaid has taken a lead in supporting the development of vocational driver qualifications and training in Africa based on internationally recognised standards. Transaid estimates that a 15% saving in fuel costs (and a similar 15% saving on maintenance costs) is achievable by the deployment of properly trained and qualified drivers in Africa. A wide range of other social and economic gains follow, which are of benefit to the poorest communities, including accident reduction and greater HIV/AIDS prevention, awareness amongst drivers, cheaper costs of local produce because the transport costs are reduced and cheaper, safer and more reliable community travel for all users including passengers. There are also benefits through better delivery by drivers in health, education and other basic service areas.
We have begun work on the Development of Commercial Driving Standards in Malawi and Zambia, building systems and structures for the development of driver qualifications and working in partnership with training institutions.
The next step is to seek recognition of the new standards, build our local partners' capacity to train to them and introduce related vocational training components like transport management and planned preventive maintenance, before scaling up to cover the SADC region.
This scaled up project is currently in development - please click here to read the Concept Paper.
