BRT, BHLS and paratransit: What type of road-based network(s) for African cities?

As
part of the launch event for the « Transport and Sustainable Mobility in African cities » (Transport et Mobilité Durable dans les Villes Africaines) Masters programme – organized by the Senghor University of Alexandria, the CNAM, the EAMAU and CODATU –, a one-day seminar will take place in Lome on September 15. This seminar will focus on road-based networks in African cities. Complementary workshops on September 14 and September 16 are also part of the program; their objective is to speed-up sustainable mobility policies development in African cities.

Monday September 14 – 14:00-17:00

Workshop: Technical characteristics of African buses

Bringing together various stakeholders from Francophone Africa, CODATU organises two workshops to, first, assist in developing public transport networks in African cities and to, second, convey a message in relation to Habitat III. On September 14, in the afternoon, a workshop focusing on vehicle technical characteristics that African operators expect will take place.

Tuesday September 15 – 09:30-16:30

One-day Seminar: BRT, BHLS and paratransit: What type of road-based network(s) for African cities?

The main topics of the seminar are the new dynamics surrounding road-based systems and the recent developments of BRT and BHLS projects. Analyses on the type of challenges pertaining to their implementation in African cities will also be conducted. Recent BRT projects in Latin America and in Asia and BHLS projects in Europe have allowed for renewed interest in road-based systems and new roles for these modes have been introduced in public transport systems transformation initiatives. However, even if BRT and BHLS programs and plans have been many in Africa, few of these have actually been implemented.

Between concentration of demand along certain corridors and flexible systems, what type of transport supply could be imagined? How to integrate such transport programs in multimodal public transport networks? How to retrofit harmoniously these systems in existing cities? What relationships can be proposed between newer and existing modes? The seminar « BRT, BHLS and paratransit – What type of road-based network(s) for African cities » is an opportunity for stakeholders and actors in the transport field to conduct analyses and discussions around these projects.

9H00- Openning session

Mawuena TCHINI KODJO, Directeur Général de l’EAMAU
Christian PHILIP, Administrateur de l’Université Senghor d’Alexandrie
Dominique BUSSEREAU, Président de CODATU
Ninsao GNOFAM, Ministre des Transports du Togo

09H45- official reception of sytral buses

Bernard RIVALTA, SYTRAL

11H00 – SESSION 1: current state of road-based transport in africa

Session Chair: Assogba GUÉZÉRÉ, Université de Kara
Pablo SALAZAR FERRO, CODATU, What role for BRT or BHNS in Africa
Xavier GODARD, Consultant, Network hierarchy and structure company – paratransit complementarity
Stéphane LEON, RATP International

12H15 – Lunch

14H00 – SESSION 2: round TABLE – What project to transform bus networks?

Session Chair: Pablo SALAZAR FERRO, CODATU
Michel KIRUMBA, TRANSCO Director General, Kinshasa
Zouhoula Bi M. RICHARD, UPGC Korhogo, Abidjan
Alioune THIAM (*), CETUD Director General, Dakar
Jean-Pierre DEGHAYE, Business Development Director Kéolis
Bernard MEAUZOONE, Former Director General and Counselor for VOLVO Bus France

15H15 – SESSION 3: TABLE RONDE – What initiatives to improve service offer?

Session Chair: Julien ALLAIRE, CODATU Managing Director
Michel Komlan TINDANO, SOTRAL Director General, Lome
Thierry DABRE, SOTRACO Study department, Ouagadougou
Nicolas SAMSOEN, Strategy and Innovation Director Transdev
Kamel LETTAT, IVECO Bus

16H30 – CONCLUSIONS: from project to policy

Hilary MURPHY, Project Coordinator, African Sustainable Transport Forum, ASTF
Julien ALLAIRE, CODATU Managing Director

(*) To be confirmed

Wednesday September 16 – 09:30-12:00

Workshop: Urban mobility prospects

This workshop will bring together participants and the Masters programme (“Transport and Sustainable Mobility in African cities”) students and it will be focused on the prospects of urban mobility in Africa in order to contribute to the ongoing international debate. This program is part of a broader program, organized by INTA, in preparation for the Habitat III conference.