The debate on urban mobility in Sub-Saharan Africa is undergoing a major shift. On December 10, 2025, SSATP will present, during a dedicated webinar, the findings of its report Embracing Informal Transport: A New Paradigm for Urban Mobility. This strategic document urges public decision-makers to fundamentally rethink the role of informal transport within urban mobility policies.
An essential pillar, long underestimated
Minibuses, shared taxis, motorcycle-taxis, and tricycles: informal transport accounts for over 70% of daily trips in most African cities. Highly flexible, responsive, and accessible, it forms the operational backbone of urban mobility. Yet it is still often seen as a transitional model, to be replaced as soon as possible by formal mass transit systems.
SSATP calls for moving beyond this mindset. The goal is no longer to replace informal transport, but to integrate, regulate, and improve it in order to achieve a more reliable, safer, and more sustainable mobility system.
Pragmatic recommendations for governments
Based on studies conducted in 14 African cities, the report proposes a gradual and realistic approach. Key levers include:
-
Organizational structuring: strengthening cooperatives, unions, and mechanisms for operator representation.
-
Professionalization: capacity-building for drivers and local transport authorities.
-
Fleet modernization: incentives for safer, cleaner, and more efficient vehicles.
-
Digitalization: e-ticketing, fleet tracking, and route optimization.
-
Institutional integration: coordinated planning with transport authorities and formal inclusion in urban mobility frameworks.
These measures can be implemented progressively, at controlled costs, while significantly improving service quality.
A dialogue between public authorities and experts from across the continent
Moderated by Simon Saddier (SSATP), the webinar will bring together key speakers, including:
-
Mustapha Benmaamar (SSATP),
-
Fatima Arroyo-Arroyo (World Bank),
-
Hindolo Shiaka (Sierra Leone),
-
Amady Baro Faye (CETUD, Senegal),
-
Rojo Andrianampoina (CODATU, Madagascar),
-
Afonso Ronda (Move Maputo, Mozambique).
They will share progress, constraints, and lessons learned from diverse urban contexts—offering decision-makers practical insights they can apply within their own cities.
A strategic priority for public policy
In a context of rapid urban growth, developing formal transport systems remains essential but insufficient. Integrating informal transport as a partner, rather than framing it as a problem, represents a major opportunity to:
-
reduce congestion,
-
improve road safety,
-
strengthen social inclusion,
-
stabilize the sector,
-
and enable future transitions toward more sustainable mobility.
The SSATP report provides governments with a clear, flexible, and locally grounded roadmap for building more effective urban mobility policies.
