Work begins on Abidjan’s BRT to link Yopougon and Bingerville in 45 minutes
The city of Abidjan will soon have its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), worth 363 million euros. The first 20 km line will link the coincils of Yopougon and Bingerville in just 45 minutes. The works have just been launched by the Prime Minister of Ivory Coast.
The development challenge between Ivory Coast and Senegal over the last few years is not about to come to an end. While Dakar inaugurated sub-Saharan Africa’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) with great fanfare in January 2024, the government of Ivory Coast has announced the launch of work on the first BRT line in Abidjan. The 20-kilometre line will link the councils of Yopougon and Bingerville, which have a combined population of over 2 million.
From now on, the journey will take just 45 minutes (compared with three hours at present) on a lane specially reserved for BRT traffic. At least 300,000 passengers used to the “Gbaka” (local expression for minibus) will be served daily thanks to the new infrastructure. The World Bank and the French Development Agency(AFD) are co-financing the project to the tune of 242 billion CFA francs (363 million euros).
Modernising the urban transport system
The first BRT line managed by Société des transports d’Abidjan (SOTRA) will comprise a fleet of 100 fully electric buses. According to the Ivorian Prime Minister, the aim is to offer people “better air quality and cutting-edge technology” for their journeys. “The project will generate 500 direct jobs and will take into account accessibility and social inclusion through the integration of people with reduced mobility,” said Robert Beugré Mambé.
The initiative is part of the Abidjan Urban Transport Project (PTUA), which aims to modernise and improve mobility in Ivory Coast’s economic capital. Pending completion of the BRT, scheduled for July 2027, the authorities in this West African country are speeding up final adjustments to the Abidjan metro, which is due to be inaugurated in 2024. With an investment cost of 1.1 billion CFA francs (1.7 billion euros) co-financed by the French Treasury, the project has been entrusted to the Société de transports abidjanais sur rail (Star). It is working in partnership with the French engineering multinationals Alstom and Colas Rail.
