Senegal signs contract with French Meridiam for electric buses in Dakar

Senegal and the French group Meridiam, which specializes in the financing and development of infrastructure, announced on Monday that they have signed a contract for the acquisition and management of electric buses in Dakar, with a view to relieving congestion in this West African metropolis.

Senegal has signed the contract with Meridiam and a consortium formed by French public companies SNCF and RATP, French transport operator Kéolis and Fonsis, a Senegalese investment fund, a statement from the Executive Council for Urban Transport in Dakar said on Monday. (Cetud), a body attached to the Senegalese Ministry of Transport.

The 15-year concession contract covers "the acquisition, operation and maintenance of BRT rolling stock and systems". The project known as BRT (bus rapid transfer, in English), whose work is in progress, aims to provide Dakar, from 2023, with fast electric buses running on exclusive lanes between the suburbs and the city center, on more 18 km, a stretch where traffic is slowed down due to traffic jams.