Transport

Transport is fundamental to supporting economic growth, creating jobs and connecting people to essential services such as healthcare or education. But in many developing countries, the benefits are not being realized. One billion people still live more than 2km away from an all-weather road, where lack of access is inextricably linked to poverty. Road crashes claim over 1.19 million lives every year, 93% of them in developing countries.

There is also an urgent need to reduce the transport’s contribution to air pollution. Domestic and international transport already contribute 20% of global GHG emissions. As populations, economies, and the need for mobility grow, GHG emissions from transport could increase by as much as 60% by 2050 if left unchecked.

When it comes to transport, developing countries face a dual challenge: balancing an increasing demand for transport services with fiscal and environmental concerns.

Ambitious investments in passenger transport such as high-quality public transport, well-connected cities, non-motorized transport options, and cleaner technologies can help achieve economic and environmental goals simultaneously.

Intertwined global challenges have demonstrated the importance of resilient logistics systems. Modernizing ports, improving connectivity between farms and markets, and making road transport more predictable can all contribute to larger global goals, such as food security.

• The World Bank is working with countries to implement approaches that:
• Avoid unnecessary motorized travel for people and goods;
• Shift to cleaner transport solutions;
• Improve the efficiency of transport infrastructure and services; and
• Strengthen transport systems to enhance resilience.

Last Updated: Apr 09, 2025

The World Bank is helping client countries develop transport infrastructure and services that are safe, efficient, and accessible.

The World Bank is the largest provider of development financing for transport globally.

• In FY23, the World Bank approved 20 new transport projects for a total of $2.9 billion.
• The Bank is currently supporting 165 transport projects with $34.5 billion in commitments, representing about 10% of our active portfolio.
• All World Bank transport projects approved in FY23 include climate co-benefits, which means they directly contribute to reducing countries’ GHG emissions and/or enhancing climate resilience.
• The Transport Global Department has committed an average of around $1.1 billion every year since 2017 in less-polluting modes of transport such as mass urban transit, railways and inland water transport.
• Since FY17, the Transport Global Practice has committed $14.91 billion in low-carbon and climate resilient actions through 179 projects.
• On average, 55 advisory services and analytical reports are delivered every year, covering a wide range of topics from decarbonizing transport to sustainable mobility for all, rural connectivity, modal shift, human capital, gender, and climate change.

To achieve greater impact and results, the World Bank Group hosts several high-profile initiatives that foster effective coordination between global transport stakeholders:

• The Global Facility to Decarbonize Transport (GFDT) is a multi-donor trust fund managed by the World Bank that aims to accelerate innovation and investment in climate-smart mobility solutions in low and middle-income countries. By funding critical work such as feasibility studies, capacity building, and pilot projects, GFDT lays the groundwork for the initiation of World Bank-financed transport decarbonization projects. GFDT donors include Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom. In its first two years, GFDT has funded 18 programs, which in turn have catalyzed $480 million in World Bank financing for green mobility projects.
• Sustainable Mobility for All (SuM4All) is a global coalition of 56 international organizations and companies with a shared ambition towards sustainable mobility and achieving it in countries. Through thought leadership, advocacy, and concrete action in countries on sustainable mobility, SuM4All has emerged as the premier platform for international cooperation on transport and mobility issues, globally. 
• The World Bank-managed Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF) supports efforts in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) to halve their road traffic fatalities and serious injuries. It does this by providing funding, knowledge, and technical assistance to scale up efforts of LMICs to build their institutional and delivery capacities; informing road safety investments financed by the World Bank and other Multilateral Development Banks; and delivering global road safety knowledge products and capacity building initiatives.
• The World Bank’s Africa region hosts the Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP), a partnership of 42 African countries, eight regional economic communities, continental institutions (African Union Commission and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa), public and private sector organizations, international development agencies and other partner organizations. SSATP’s work program focuses on regional integration, urban mobility, and road safety—three pillars that will lay the foundation for efficient, safe, and sustainable transport systems across Africa.

Last Updated: Apr 09, 2025

In Egypt, we are working with the government to procure a fleet of 100 electric buses and implement related infrastructure, including charging stations and upgraded depots. Once the new vehicles are delivered, select bus lines across the Greater Cairo area will be converted to 100% electric operation to assess the impact of e-buses and address the potential challenges. The objective of the pilot is to lay the foundation for large-scale electrification of the public transport sector, in line with Egypt’s ambitious goals to tackle air pollution, lower GHG emissions, and empower women through more inclusive transport.

In Tanzania, the World Bank supported the development of a Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT) in the capital city of Dar es Salaam, one of the fastest growing developing country cities in the world. The first phase of the project opened in 2016 and now carries 179,000 passengers per day. Thanks to dedicated bus lanes, accessible stations, and a modern vehicle fleet, the new BRT has given residents a faster and more reliable way to get around, cutting travel times through the city’s core from 3 hours to 45 minutes. The Bank is now working with the government and development partners to expand the system and bring BRT service to more neighborhoods across the city.

In Quito, Ecuador, two World Bank loans totaling $435 million supported the construction of the country’s first metro line, which opened its doors to the public in December 2023. By moving passenger traffic from private cars and diesel buses to modern electric trains, the project will save an estimated 65,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year. Once integrated with the other transport modes, the 23-km metro line will provide up to 400,000 daily riders with a fast, reliable way to access jobs and essential services, offering seamless integration with Bus Rapid Transit corridors and other key public transport routes across the city. All stations are fully accessible, featuring elevators, braille signage, and turnstiles adapted for trolleys and wheelchairs. Women make up about 40% of the metro system’s workforce, including in managerial positions.

The Vietnam Local Road Asset Management Program (LRAMP) financed the construction of 743 km of local roads and 2,387 rural bridges that provide year-round access to about 11,265,200 people in rural and ethnic minority areas across the country. The project has led local authorities to increase recurrent investment in routine maintenance and to give communities an active role in the preservation of the rural road network, with a particular focus on women-led initiatives. All civil contracts under LRAMP have been procured competitively and awarded to small and medium private companies.

In Dakar, Senegal, the World Bank is supporting a Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT) that will radically improve urban mobility across the Dakar metropolitan area. The system was officially inaugurated in January 2024, with regular passenger service expected to start later this year. Once fully operational, the new BRT will serve 300,000 commuters per day, cut the transit time in half, improve road safety and reduce local air pollution by shifting traffic from private cars to buses.

The World Bank has been supporting India’s flagship Prime Minister’s Rural Roads Program (PMGSY) since its inception more than two decades ago. Considered to be the world’s largest rural roads program, PMGSY aims to expand all-weather road access to some 178,000 villages that were previously unconnected. The World Bank has committed a total of $1.67 billion to the program, directly contributing to the construction or rehabilitation of 48,000 km of all-weather roads connecting 19,000 villages across nine Indian states. The Bank has also provided technical assistance to the entire PMGSY program and helped transform the way Indian rural roads projects are mapped, designed, executed, monitored, and managed.

The Western Balkans Transport and Trade Facilitation Project strives to boost economic growth through deeper regional integration among the six Western Balkans countries and neighboring EU member states. Key results from Phase 1, focusing on Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia, will include setting-up National Single Windows and streamlining operations at border crossing points; deploying Intelligent Transport Systems; supporting transport corridor performance monitoring and management; and upgrading critical rail level crossings for safe and efficient rail transport within the region. The second phase, covering Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Montenegro, is currently under preparation and will build on lessons learned from the first phase.

Last Updated: Oct 17, 2024