In the aftermath of a tragic accident in the El Harrach wadi, the Algerian government has announced a major plan to take back control of its public transport sector.
However, behind the promises of modernization, analysts suggest the plan reveals the fragility of an economic system that struggles to implement reforms without the catalyst of a major crisis.
Transport Minister Said Sayoud has unveiled a sweeping plan to renew the national bus fleet. In the short term, all vehicles over 30 years old will be banned, followed by those over 20 years old, a move that will affect more than 30,000 buses. To support carriers, the government is promising tax exemptions, customs incentives, and bank loans. It also aims to stimulate local bus manufacturing, a goal that has often been stated but remains challenged by the chronic weakness of Algeria’s mechanical engineering industry. This plan ultimately highlights Algeria’s reliance on imports and public funding, which is a concern in a tense budgetary environment.
Official communications from the government have emphasized a “zero tolerance” policy for uncooperative carriers, who are accused of profiting from the sector’s disorganization. This rhetoric, however, masks the state’s own role in allowing what has been described as a “bus jungle” to flourish due to years of poor governance and a lack of urban planning. Proposed joint commissions to inspect vehicles and regulate the sector risk becoming new bureaucratic hurdles with little practical effect.
While unions have welcomed the initiative, they are already demanding a revision of tariffs, better recruitment regulations, and funding guarantees. These demands expose a key tension: how to impose a massive fleet renewal without triggering a sharp increase in transport prices for citizens already struggling with widespread inflation.
The “Sayoud Plan,” as some have dubbed it, reflects what has been characterized as the “Tebboune method” of governance: reacting with urgency to a tragedy by making promises of austerity and public assistance, without addressing the underlying structural causes. The El Harrach tragedy has served as a brutal reminder that Algeria is now facing the consequences of decades of improvised management of its public services.
MK/ac/fss/abj/APA