The Ivorian Ministry of Transport is currently preparing a call for tender for the implementation of a “Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)” project, an electric bus that will commute between Yopougon and Bingerville, a line that runs from the west to the east of Abidjan.
This project is led by a Monitoring and Steering Committee of the Abidjan Urban Mobility Project (PMUA), which held a session on Thursday in the premises of the Ministry of Transport in order to readjust the annual work plan and budget (PTBA).
It is part of the Abidjan Urban Mobility Project (PMUA) which is in its first year of implementation since its entry into force on 13 February 2020. Eighteen activities out of 37 planned in the PTBA had been started, but the other 19 had not been executed.
A little over 18 months after the first session, the Monitoring and Steering Committee is holding this session to “revise its objectives and have a PTBA that is consistent with” budgetary constraints and the respect of deadlines.
The Committee had argued that a boost should be given to the various technical components. This is in order to meet the deadlines for the work scheduled to benefit the population.
The project is supported by the World Bank, which during its last mission noted that the progress of the activities was “overall satisfactory despite some major constraints that affected the deadlines.”
The activities are progressing “well” according to the Monitoring Committee, whose specialists are working diligently to launch the call for tenders for the work on the Bus Rapid Transit Corridor, as well as the recruitment of the operator that will be responsible for running the BRT.
This project, for which certain preparatory studies have been completed, also seeks to “strengthen” the state-owned Societe des Transports Abidjanais (SOTRA), professionalize small-scale transport and develop human capital.
Some modifications should be made, according to the Committee, which mentions that this project foresees a fleet of 2,000 taxis and 1,000 ‘gbakas (mini-cars).’ A “revision” of the SOTRA agreement is also planned to adapt it to the advent of the BRT and the Abidjan metro.
The finalization of the electric bus project and the recruitment of the transaction council for the public-private partnership are underway. The Committee assures to be advanced on the Project Code, baseline studies and technical studies to support the project.
Mr. Romain Kouakou, Director General of the Abidjan Urban Mobility Authority and coordinator of the PMUA, told the press that the objectives provided for a budget of 11.6 billion CFA francs in the 2021 steering budget.
He insinuated that the project had just started and in 2022, the major works are expected to start, hence the budget has decreased by about six billion CFA francs because key studies will be postponed to 2022, but “this does not affect from the progress” of the PMUA.
The Abidjan Urban Mobility Project is also in charge of monitoring and steering the Abidjan Metro Project. The last session of the PMUA Monitoring and Steering Committee was held on 20 November 2020.
AP/ls/fss/abj/APA