Bus rapid transit in Africa

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In African cities, bus rapid transit is a relatively new phenomenon. The first system was opened in 2008 in Lagos, Nigeria and since then, many more BRT systems have been undertaken and are in different stages of development. 2016 saw a record three new BRTs on the continent. Ousmane Thiam, Honorary President of the International Association of Public Transport and President of CETUD, the urban transport authority in Dakar (Senegal), reckons there will be a significant development of BRT in Africa over the next years. [1]

Contents

Often BRT is advocated as a cheaper way to build rapid mass transit for Africa's larger cities compared to rail. Implementing these systems is also sometimes conceptualized as a way to initiate wider reform of local bus systems often consisting of privately operated and flexibly run minibuses, sometimes called paratransit or "informal" transport. This also means that these projects confront the problem of how to integrate with these systems and address concerns of replacement or displacement from actors that own and operate minibus systems leading to clashes and raising significant political challenges in implementation. [2]

Currently, BRT systems are in operation in the following African cities below:

BRT bus in Dar es Salaam Mwendokasi at starting point.jpg
BRT bus in Dar es Salaam

Egypt

  1. Cairo - Will be opened in 2024

Ghana

  1. Accra – Aayalolo, opened in 25 November 2016 no along Bus Rapid Transit it now Quality Bus System.

Ivory Coast

  1. Abidjan – Abidjan Transport Company

Kenya

  1. Nairobi - MRTS BRT

Morocco

  1. Marrakech – BRT Marrakesh, opened in 29 September 2017
  2. Agadir – Amalway Agadir Trambus opened in (2024)
  3. Casablanca – Casablanca Busway, BRT opened in 1st March 2024

Nigeria

  1. Lagos – Lagos BRT, opened in March 2008

Senegal

  1. Dakar – BRT Dakar, will be opened by the end of 2023

South Africa

  1. Johannesburg – Rea Vaya, opened in August 2009
  2. Johannesburg, City of Ekurhuleni – Harambee BRT, system started in October 2017
  3. Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay – Libhongolethu IPTS BRT, system was implemented for the 2010 World Cup
  4. Cape Town – MyCiTi, opened in May 2011
  5. Pretoria – A Re Yeng BRT, opened in December 2014
  6. George Go George BRT system, opened in August 2015
  7. Polokwane – Leeto La Polokwane BRT, system project was conceived in 2007 and began operations in March 2021
  8. Rustenburg – Yarona BRT, opened in September 2022
  9. Durban – GO Durban BRT, system was announced in 2013 is still (under construction 2024)
  10. Bloemfontein - Hauweng IPTN

Tanzania

  1. Dar es Salaam – UDART, opened in May 2016

Uganda

  1. Kampala Greater Kampala – Bus Rapid Transit

See also

References

  1. ↑ "In Dakar, the transport sector's formalisation began with the renewal of rolling stock". UITP. 2016-12-08. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
  2. ↑ Klopp, Harber and Quarshie, 2019. A Review of BRT as Public Transport Reform in African Cities
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