Motorcycle Union, Digital Liberia Sign Deal to Track Riders, Combat Theft

By Lincoln G. Peters

SINKOR, Monrovia, August 16, 2026 — The Merged Federation of Motorcycle and Tricycle Union of Liberia (M-FOMTUL) and Digital Liberia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to introduce digital identification, data management and GPS tracking systems for commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators across Liberia.

The partnership is intended to strengthen the registration and identification of riders and their vehicles, improve sector data, combat motorcycle and tricycle theft and enhance accountability and road safety.

Under the agreement, Digital Liberia and M-FOMTUL will work to establish a comprehensive database containing verifiable information on riders and their motorcycles and tricycles.

The initiative is also expected to introduce geolocation and GPS technology to improve the tracking and recovery of stolen vehicles and provide information that could assist law enforcement agencies in investigating incidents involving commercial riders.

Digital Liberia said the initiative could also help connect operators in the informal sector to the formal economy by creating reliable digital records that can support access to financial institutions, government services and other economic opportunities.

According to Digital Liberia, many workers and entrepreneurs in the informal economy remain excluded from financial and other services because they lack verifiable records and recognized digital identities.

The organization argued that the informal sector should be viewed as an important economic opportunity rather than simply a challenge requiring government intervention.

It said the sector includes transport operators, traders, artisans, vendors, mechanics, farmers and other entrepreneurs who contribute significantly to economic activity but often remain outside formal financial and administrative systems.

“A business without digital records can struggle to access credit, and a rider without verifiable information can struggle to access financial services,” a Digital Liberia representative said.

The organization said combining its technological capacity with M-FOMTUL’s membership network could provide a platform for connecting thousands of informal-sector workers to new opportunities.

“The partnership we are formalizing today with M-FOMTUL brings something that technology alone cannot provide: community, organization, representation and direct connection with the people we want to serve,” the representative said.

“Digital Liberia brings technology, digital systems, data-driven solutions, innovation and a platform for connecting people and businesses to opportunities.”

M-FOMTUL President General Duwor Mulbah welcomed the agreement, saying it could strengthen security, accountability and data management within the motorcycle and tricycle transport sector.

Mulbah said motorcycle and tricycle theft has remained a persistent challenge for commercial riders, with some incidents resulting in deaths.

According to him, identifying suspects and tracing or recovering stolen motorcycles has often proven difficult because the sector lacks a comprehensive system for identifying riders, registering vehicles and tracking their locations.

“As an institution, we have identified the absence of a comprehensive and systematic rider identification, vehicle registration, data-management and geolocation/GPS tracking system as one of the major factors contributing to these challenges,” Mulbah said.

He said the partnership with Digital Liberia could help transform and professionalize the commercial motorcycle and tricycle sector through greater use of technology.

Mulbah said the system is expected to make it easier to identify legitimate operators, track stolen vehicles and provide reliable information that could assist authorities when crimes or road incidents occur.

The partnership could also provide policymakers with more reliable data on a major segment of Liberia’s informal economy, potentially improving planning and decision-making affecting commercial transport operators.

M-FOMTUL and Digital Liberia said they expect the initiative to strengthen security while creating pathways for riders and other informal-sector operators to gain greater access to financial and digital services.