Mobility

Nodalis and its partner, Transitec, are advising the government of Côte d'Ivoire on the structuring of a project for the development of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line in Abidjan.
The public transport network in Abidjan is under full development. In order to connect the outlying communes of Yopougon and Cocody to activity centre (Adjamé/Plateau), the Ivorian government intends to develop a bus line with a very high level of service (Bus Rapid Transit) on the East-West axis. With a dedicated corridor along the entire route, the service will carry approximately 300,000 passengers per day, with frequencies exceeding one bus per minute at peak times. Electric buses are considered in order to limit the air and noise pollution of the service.
The investment costs amounting to more than 250 million euros (160 billion FCFA) will be partly financed by a World Bank loan and co-financed by Agence Française de Développement (French Development Agency). In order to leverage private sector know-how and mobilise commercial financing, the Ivorian government envisages structuring this project as a Public Private Partnership.
Our team was recruited to assist the Ivorian government in the preparation and structuring of the project. Our role is to study and optimize the distribution of risks and responsibilities between the private operator and the public authority in order to provide a quality service for users that meets the requirements of the State. The financial equilibrium of the project is analysed, and the study also includes drawing up the main terms of the contract between the State and the private operator.
Nodalis’s work, which began in February 2019, is nearing completion after a consultation session with the Ivorian authorities and the World Bank. The government is now preparing to begin the recruitment phase of the private operator in charge of the service

Figure 1 - Alignment and location of Abidjan BRT stations - Source Logit - October 2019