WASHINGTON, June 27, 2019 - The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved $300 million credit to Côte d'Ivoire for an Urban Mobility Project in Abidjan, the economic capital. This project includes the construction of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, as recently planned by the Ivorian government.
"This project will transform urban mobility in Abidjan. Our funding aims to enable a large majority of the population of Abidjan to access, quickly and at low cost, employment opportunities and social services in neighborhoods with high concentrations of economic activities, "said Pierre Laporte, World Bank Director in Côte d'Ivoire.
The project will finance a modern and ecological BRT line of 20 km, completely separated from traffic, between Yopougon the most populated municipality and Bingerville. The project will also support the rest of the formal and informal urban transport system.
According to Anne-Cecile Souhaid, senior Transport Specialist, and Project Team Leader, "there are about 10 million trips per day in Abidjan, and each household spends nearly 1075 Fcfa and loses more than 3 hours in transport. With the BRT, residents and workers will be able to reach the Plateau (central business district) from Yopougon in 20 minutes, and in 45 minutes from Bingerville. This project will drastically reduce travel time and 600,000 additional jobs will be accessible in less than an hour. "
According to a recent World Bank study published in February, the poorest households in Abidjan spend an average of 20 to 30 percent of their income on transportation and spend 200 minutes a day using or waiting for transport. The report shows that an improvement in urban mobility in Abidjan of around 20% could lead to a GDP growth gain of about 1% per year.
