Addis Ababa: Addis Ababa presents a tremendous potential for global green mobility investments, said Christopher Kost, Africa Programme Director at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. Speaking to ENA, he underscored the importance of strategic infrastructure investments to support green mobility.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, there is tremendous potential to electrify the mobility system in Addis Ababa. The government has already begun procuring electric buses for the capital, Kost stated. He also highlighted the importance of creating dedicated road spaces for these buses to avoid delays caused by traffic congestion, which is crucial to facilitate the green mobility transition in the city.
Kost noted the need to implement Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems to ensure buses do not get stuck in traffic jams, supporting the city’s move to clean energy and green mobility. As part of fostering the adoption of sustainable practices and technologies across various sectors, Ethiopia has emba
rked on advancements in electric vehicles and green technologies, demonstrating solutions and products that contribute to sustainability and environmental protection.
In this respect, Addis Ababa is embracing a transportation revolution by introducing electric buses and minibuses. Praising recent corridor development projects, Kost emphasized improvements in pedestrian facilities and the introduction of high-quality cycle tracks on major streets of the capital.
The corridor development projects have significantly improved walking facilities and introduced high-quality cycle tracks on many major streets. However, Kost stressed the need for facilitating additional public transport infrastructure through dedicated lanes in a BRT system to prevent buses from being stuck in traffic.
In Addis Ababa, ongoing projects to build high-quality walkways and cycle tracks are setting a positive example for other cities across the region. In many African cities, walking and cycling are key modes of transport, and Kost emp
hasized the importance of further investment in public transport to ensure easy access to high-quality public transport.
Kost also emphasized the opportunity to electrify bus fleets in countries like Ethiopia that have a clean electricity supply. Developing large-scale walking and cycling infrastructure is critical to making public transport systems easily accessible, he underlined.