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Transaid is

a UK based international development charity that aims to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods across Africa and the developing world through creating better transport1.

Transaid works with departments of health, governments and other organisations to improve the management and maintenance of their fleets of vehicles. This is done by applying the Transaid Transport Management System to reduce costs, improve service delivery and increase operational efficiency. Transaid promotes professional driver training standards and develops driver training programmes to improve driver competence, road safety and the efficient use of vehicles. It provides access to appropriate, alternative forms of transport such as bicycle and motorcycle ambulances for communities where conventional forms of transport are not available or affordable.

History Transaid’s history goes back over 25 years and is strongly supported by the European Transport and Logistics Industry2. Transaid partners with organisations in the public and private sector including local community organisations, governments, institutions and donors to build capability and achieve their aims. Transaid was founded by Save the Children and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and was formed as an independent organisation in 1998.

Projects

Transaid’s work focusses on three areas of expertise. (1) Transport Management Systems and effective vehicle management. (2) Professional Driver Training (3) Community Managed and Intermediate modes of Transport. They also provide Transport Consultancy Services. Transaid operates many projects across Africa. Some of the projects are :

1. The Bicycle Ambulance Project – Zambia3 In September 2008 Transaid partnered with World Bicycle Relief 4 and Disacare to implement a pilot Bicycle Ambulance project in Zambia’s Eastern Province. This involved the construction and distribution of bicycle ambulance trailers to 40 volunteer healthcare workers, otherwise known as ‘home based caregivers’. The project aimed to improve rural access in communities where the cost of running and maintaining a 4 x 4 vehicle would be virtually impossible to meet with the existing resources available.

2. The Female Market Traders Project – Ghana From 2006 - 2008, Transaid worked with a Female Market Traders Cooperative in Accra, Ghana to support the development of their own controlled transport system to get their goods to market. The aim of the project was to improve livelihoods opportunities and social conditions for the Female Market Traders by giving them access to safer and more affordable transport.



Related videos /audios Transaid Professional Driver Training Project Transaid Bicycle Ambulance Project




References

<1. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTTSR/Resources/SASR2002REview_chapter18.pdf 2. http://www.transaid.org/about-transaid/ 3. http://www.transaid.org/projects/zambia,-bicycle-ambulance-project,-sept.-2008-–-mar.-2009 4. http://www.worldbicyclerelief.org/stay_connected/volume02/issue08.php >

External links