Senegal recently launched sub-Saharan Africa’s first all-electric Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network. A launch ceremony was held in capital city Dakar was presided over by Senegalese Prime Minister Amadou Ba.
Undertaking the project was China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC). The BRT covers 18.3 km with 23 bus stations and three hub transfer stations along the route.
According to the World Bank, “One of the major challenges in the Dakar area is traffic congestion, leading to wasted time and increased frustration for commuters. The BRT system should influence people to shift their travel plans from private cars to the bus, ultimately reducing the number of cars on the road and making trips faster for everyone. A typical trip from the city’s periphery to the central business district used to take around 90 minutes or more. With the BRT, the travel time for similar trips should only take 45 minutes.”
Background (Source: Meridiam)
The BRT project is part of a comprehensive plan to restructure the capital city’s public transport network by 2025. It comprises two components:
- A civil infrastructure component, procured by the authorities, mainly comprising the construction of lanes, stations, and garages for the exclusive use of the future BRT buses for which the construction is ongoing since 2019 and scheduled to be completed in August 2023.
- An operational infrastructure component, tendered as a PPP, encompassing the procurement and maintenance of a 140+ bus fleet together with associated systems and equipment as well as the operation of the network for a duration of 15 years post commercial operations date.