Problem

Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon, has envisioned a citywide target of a high-performing mobility system that is efficient, safe, and affordable for its citizens by 2035. This target was born from the terrible congestion the city has been facing due to rapid population growth, urban sprawl, and rising transportation demands. Despite being the centre of commercial activities and hosting a variety of office buildings and cultural landmarks, the city’s core area suffers from blocked streets and inadequate pedestrian infrastructure, failing the mobility needs of its residents, workers and consumers. The Yaoundé Government plans to transform the city’s urban transport infrastructure through the Mobilité Verte (MoVe) project, shifting the car-oriented city to a resilient, people-oriented city. To achieve this, an integrated public transportation system and a change in mobility behaviour need to happen.

Responses

MoVe Yaoundé is co-financed by the European Union, the French Government and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented jointly by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) and the French Development Cooperation (AFD). From 2023 to 2024, the Mobilite Verte (MoVe) Yaoundé project will work on different aspects of the city’s transport system to develop it towards sustainable and integrated mobility, mainly by building a Bus Rapid Transit corridor (“Trans-Yaoundé”), walkable pedestrian corridors in downtown Yaoundé, and modernising paratransit fleet with focus on existing yellow taxis. Yaoundé also aims to improve traffic circulation and traffic calming measures to reduce congestion and lower speeds.

Through these measures the MoVe Yaoundé initiative aims to not only contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions but also create jobs for younger generations and improve the inclusivity of public infrastructure.

Find out more: Transformative Mobility