The moderating effect of road safety and compliance training on the relationship between motor cycle accessibility to market and performance wholesale retail sector in Kenya

Abstract

The use of motorcycles has increased dramatically in Africa in recent years. Motorcycles (boda boda) are often used as taxis, with riders charging a fare to carry passengers or goods by wholesalers and retailers. Motorcycle transport is certainly not without risk, including the risk of being injured in a crash. Attempts by governments to regulate the use of motorcycle taxis for safety and other reasons have largely failed, with authorities often unable to keep pace with the rapid influx of motorcycles into the continent and the high demand for their services by local populations. This study sought to establish the moderating effect of road safety and compliance training on the relationship between the motorcycle accessibility market and the performance of wholesale retail businesses in Kenya. This study was anchored on system theory. The research philosophy adopted for the study was descriptive using a quantitative approach was used. The study targeted all wholesale and retail shops in 47 counties and systematic sampling and simple random sampling techniques were employed to select a sample size of 383 respondents. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential analysis was undertaken using SPSS software Version 28. On average, the findings noted that motorcycle accessibility to the markets had enhanced the growth of wholesaler and retailer businesses in Kenya with a score of 4.03 out of 5.0. On inferential statistics, the results indicate road safety and compliance training of motorcycle riders had a positive moderating effect on the relationship between the motorcycle accessibility market and performance wholesale retail business R squared change of 0.206 which translates to a 21.39% change in the R-square. This means road safety and compliance training of motorcycle riders’ moderate motorcycle accessibility market and performance positively and statistically significant. The findings imply that training motorcycle riders on road safety and compliance is very important in improving the wholesale and retail sector performance in Kenya. The government should formalize road safety and compliance, in this case, NTSA, should uphold and enhance official training of the commercial motorcycle delivery solution providers.