public transport - The African Mirror

Feb

2023

Dakar’s clandestine taxis are essential for daily travel – but they’re illegal

PAPE SAKHO, GAELE LESTEVEN, MOMAR DIONGUE and PASCAL POCHET AFRICA'S major cities are growing at a rapid pace. In Dakar, Senegal’s capital, for instance, the population has almost doubled in 20 years, reaching 4 million inhabitants today. But in most metropolises, like Dakar, planning isn’t keeping up with the expansion. One example of this is the city’s transport system. Public transport plays a fundamental role in providing access to any city. However, in many cities, it’s lacking, particularly in areas of urban sprawl. This worsens the quality of life for people living in these areas, where there is a shortage…

Oct

2022

By The African Mirror

Nairobi is bustling and booming

AFRICITIES

MBUGUA NG'ANG'A, BIRD STORY AGENCY THE Waiyaki Way-Raphta Road roundabout in Westlands is a microcosm of the contradictions that define Nairobi's sustainable development narrative. Motorists driving down into the city stop cruising on the four-lane highway as they approach the busy intersection. Four lanes shrink to two on the off-ramp leading to Raphta Road but then traffic suddenly comes to halt because part of the road has been colonised by mutatus, Nairobi's infamous public transport minivans. It takes the constant intervention of traffic police to ensure that traffic flows smoothly. Above the honking and frayed nerves, the Nairobi Expressway stretches…

Jul

2022

By The African Mirror

Near free public transport eases congestion on Germany’s roads

WORLD

TOM SIMS URBAN traffic congestion eased in the weeks after Germany made public transport almost free, data show, suggesting an experiment by Europe's largest economy to combat its addiction to cars may be having some success. Since the beginning of June, Germany has sold a monthly ticket for nine euros ($9.21) that is valid for unlimited trips on a vast swathe of its public transport network. The offer, which continues through August, was designed to take the sting out of soaring inflation and cut vehicle emissions. It was a bold move for the home of automakers BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen,…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

Want to create 5 million green jobs? Invest in public transport in cities

AFRICITIES

LIN TAYLOR IN a world reeling from the impact of COVID-19, investing in public transport could create 4.6 million jobs by 2030 and cut transport emissions, mayors in some 100 cities said on Tuesday. A "green and just recovery" with investment in buses and trains, particularly electric vehicles, would also reduce car use and air pollution, and protect vulnerable residents, said C40, a network of cities pushing for climate action. "The road to recovery is paved with investments in our infrastructure," said C40's Cities Climate Leadership Group chairman and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, in a statement. "Public transportation is…