The president of the Jakarta National Federation of Motorcycle Taxi Drivers, Samba Coumba Samb, called on the authorities to give more attention and support to the actors in this sector, which he now considers an important lever for youth employment and economic development for the country.

According to his statements, the Thiès region alone has approximately 13,500 Jakarta motorcycle drivers, while their number is estimated at over 232,000 nationwide. These figures, in his view, sufficiently demonstrate that this sub-sector of urban transport can no longer be considered marginal or informal by the authorities.

Addressing the sensitive issue of motorcycle registration in Jakarta, Samba Coumba Samb was keen to clarify that the process was never free for drivers, contrary to popular belief. "It's a state subsidy, not a free service," he firmly stated, reminding everyone that each driver had to pay 28,800 FCFA to obtain their license plate. According to his calculations, this nationwide campaign generated nearly 4 billion FCFA in revenue for the state.

The union leader also indicated that while many drivers have already obtained their plates, the main obstacle now lies in the administrative burdens and difficulties in accessing the platforms for submitting regularization applications.

Furthermore, the federation's leader strongly condemned what he described as recurring police harassment in the field. He stated that some of his colleagues are regularly stopped without valid reason, even though no systematic checks of vehicle registration documents, license plates, or helmet use are carried out according to regulations.

However, Samba Coumba Samb expressed particular support for strengthening helmet enforcement. According to him, this road safety measure is essential to protect drivers' lives and drastically reduces the risk of serious injury in the event of an accident. He therefore advocated for the continuation and intensification of awareness campaigns and strict enforcement regarding the mandatory wearing of protective helmets.