{"id":6392,"date":"2024-06-18T09:56:59","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T07:56:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ingenius.ecoledesponts.fr\/?p=6392"},"modified":"2025-07-29T16:20:12","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T14:20:12","slug":"urban-transport-in-africa-training-tomorrows-professionals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ingenius.ecoledesponts.fr\/en\/articles\/urban-transport-in-africa-training-tomorrows-professionals\/","title":{"rendered":"Urban transport in Africa: training tomorrow’s professionals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\"\"
Site visit to the market in Bouak\u00e9 with the 4th year of the Professional Masters in Transport and Urban Planning at the Institut National Polytechnique F\u00e9lix Houphou\u00ebt-Boigny. Author: Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Semp\u00e9r\u00e9.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With regard to transport, Africa is frequently associated with paratransit service and outdated conventional public transport services: vehicles in poor condition, pollution, road insecurity, lack of professionalism, etc. Admittedly, these problems are still present in a large number of cities. However, to see urban transport only in this light is to ignore the progress made in many urban areas, the initiatives underway and public authorities’ growing and almost universal awareness of the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rise of Bus Rapid Transit and project portfolios<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Public transport and multimodal options are at the heart of these new transport solutions, structured around mass transit solutions, feeder services and micro-mobility (including walking1<\/a><\/sup> and cycling). At the moment, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems are favored by the relevant authorities (ministries of transport, construction, cities or funding agencies) as they are relatively inexpensive compared with rail transport, quick to roll out thanks to the use of part of the existing road infrastructure, and offer a degree of operating flexibility. BRTs are already proving successful and have also been chosen by cities such as Dar es Salaam, Dakar, Kampala, Kigali, Kumasi, Nairobi and Addis Ababa. In other cities, rail solutions have been adopted to ensure rapid mass transit: the metro in Abidjan, the tramway in Addis Ababa and the TER regional train network in Dakar. Depending on each city’s specific characteristics, other less frequent transport solutions, such as river shuttles or cable transport, are also being considered (Lagos, Kigali, Kampala and Antananarivo, etc.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this stage of maturity, these countries have a chance to overhaul their systems of mobility around a structured, digital and sustainable multimodal system and to organize the entire mobility ecosystem2<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To achieve this, the continent needs to support the development of players across the entire transport value chain3<\/a><\/sup> from mass transit to micro-mobility, from equipment and infrastructure manufacturers to operators of different modes of mobility, from equipment maintenance to training in the sector’s occupations.
 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Innovative breakthroughs for sustainable transport<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The transport sector, responsible for a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, is the fastest-growing contributor to global warming, particularly in Africa. Offering an alternative to private vehicles, via BRT for example, is a significant, effective way to help reduce air pollution from urban traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to these urban mobility issues, governments are looking to build fleets that have a low environmental impact. C\u00f4te d’Ivoire was the first country to adopt natural gas-powered buses, Uganda designed Africa’s first solar-powered bus, Nigeria and Kenya introduced motorcycle taxis and electric minibuses, and the city of Kigali installed smart electric bicycles. Most recently, after the regional express train line commissioned at the end of 2021 that incorporates the most modern systems (including a dual diesel-electric engine), the e-BRT is a new step on the Senegalese authorities’ path towards sustainable transport. In addition to fast travel, safety and inclusion are also priorities. The roads and public spaces along the bus lane are being completely redesigned to optimize safety for pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and public transport users. Buses and stations are fully accessible to people with reduced mobility. Adequate lighting, security cameras, alarm systems and the presence of staff at stations ensure that passengers, especially women, can travel in complete safety.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Investment alone is not enough to meet the challenges of sustainable urban development<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Training initiatives for all players in the international or local value chain, both upstream (Vehicle manufacturers\/assemblers, equipment manufacturers) and downstream (maintenance, driving, operation), will be essential to support this shift. While engineers (and, to a lesser extent, urban planners) play a key role in how these services are designed, other professions – such as public works contractors, network operators and sustainable development officers (for both individual and non-individual mobility) – are also in high demand. Public transport is a service activity in which the human factor plays an essential role. It is therefore essential to boost capacity4<\/a><\/sup> in order to guarantee service quality and professionalize the sector, especially in terms of management staff at operators and authorities: their respective responsibilities influence decision-making. The sheer increase in the number of kilometers traveled, combined with the sharp rise in the number of urban transport passengers, explains in large part the need for additional manpower and recruitment. The urban transport sector is necessarily faced with an expansion, diversification and change in its activities: operating lines with new-generation vehicles, implementing information and ticketing platforms, and introducing preventive maintenance, for example, cannot be achieved without improving qualifications and skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Players in urban mobility are faced with many questions and challenges<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The need for training can be attributed to a number of factors related to changes in jobs and professions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n