The renewal of urban public transport in Africa

In L’économie africaine 2026, Yao Tsoekeo Amedokpo (École nationale des ponts et chaussées/ENPC, Ville Mobilité Transport Laboratory/LVMT), Virginie Boutueil (ENPC, LVMT), and Jean-François Sempéré (ENPC) analyze the gradual return of public transport in major African cities.

High-capacity buses: a real promise for the future

According to the authors, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems are currently among the most promising solutions for urban mobility in African cities. With dedicated lanes, specific stations, and improved traffic management, BRT systems can carry large numbers of passengers while significantly reducing travel times.

They also offer an opportunity to better organize urban transport as a whole. In several metropolitan areas, BRT implementation has been accompanied by a restructuring of existing networks, with minivans and shared taxis providing local and feeder services to rapid transit lines. This complementarity is essential for reaching outlying neighborhoods, where lower-income households often reside.

BRT systems can also play an important role in addressing climate challenges. The introduction of electric buses, already underway in some cities, helps reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

As for metro and light rail systems (by nature more expensive) they could become the backbone of urban transport networks in the densest cities.

Progress still to be consolidated

However, the authors note that these new systems still cover only a limited portion of cities, mainly along major routes. In many neighborhoods, “informal” transport remains essential. The challenge now, they argue, is to better connect different modes of transport and design cities around mobility, so that BRT and metro systems may one day benefit the greatest number.