(AIP)- A two-day reflection workshop opened on Thursday, December 08, 2022 in San Pedro, on data collected by the Transport Fluidity Observatory (OFT), as part of the Road Development and Transport Facilitation Project on the Bamako, Zantiébougou, Boundiali, San Pedro Corridor (PR8).
The OFT carried out this survey on the section between San Pedro and Boundiali, in its capacity as the organization in charge of raising awareness of road users and training public border officials in measures to facilitate inter-State road transport. , as part of the PR8 project.
The study highlights three issues relating to the state of degradation of the road network of San Pedro on the border of Côte d’Ivoire with Mali, the anarchic roadblocks on this axis and the behavior of the agents who run these roadblocks and the procedures impacting the dwell time of the goods (imported and exported) within the port of San Pedro.
The participants, in particular the defense and security forces, the umbrella organizations of road carriers and drivers, shippers, Malian and Ivorian economic operators and representatives of the port of San Pedro, will discuss these questions during the work in committees. They will determine relevant actions to provide lasting solutions to the problems.
The Secretary General of the OFT, Abdoulaye Touré, indicated that these solutions should make it possible to permanently reduce roadblocks and improve the behavior of law enforcement at the various roadblocks on the Bamako-San Pedro corridor, improve stay of the goods at the Autonomous Port of San Pedro and increase its attractiveness.
PR8 is a project set up by the Ivorian and Malian governments, with the technical support of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), to ensure the facilitation of trade between the two countries. It is co-financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Union (EU), WAEMU and the two States.
The project has five components, namely, road works and environmental measures, related facilities and social measures, institutional support for the transport sector, transport facilitation and project management.
In the Ivorian part, the planned asphalting works are carried out between Kani and Boundiali (163 km), reducing the journey time from six hours to less than two hours on this section.
Work on the Issia-Daloa axis is scheduled to start on Friday. The rehabilitation of the Issia-San Pedro road has already been the subject of a call for tenders and the contract for the Kan-Séguéla section has been awarded. The Boundiali-Tengrela axis on the Mali border was already paved a few years ago and rehabilitation work will be scheduled.
(AIP)
