What’s Next for Public Transport in West Africa?

LYVE Originals — where Africa’s future gets a voice.

Let’s begin on a Wednesday morning in Lagos. The air is thick with humidity and honking. Buses crawl. Danfos (those yellow minibuses infamous for reckless maneuvers) jostle for space. Commuters cling to hope — and the edge of their seats. In Accra, it’s much the same. Tro tros inch past traffic cops who do more waving than regulating. Riders jump in and out, exact change ready, no timetable in sight.

From Dakar to Cotonou, West Africa’s cities move not on rails or apps, but on hustle. But the system, as it stands, is breaking — and everyone knows it. The question isn’t whether change is needed. It’s already underway. The real question is: change for whom?

🚧 The Current System: Crowded, Cash-Based, and Crumbling

Most West Africans rely on informal transport — a patchwork of minibuses, motorcycle taxis, shared cabs, and sometimes even trucks retrofitted for passengers. It's chaotic but functional. It gets people to work, school, markets.

But it also comes with cost:

Unpredictability: No fixed schedules. If it rains, good luck.

Safety risks: Poorly maintained vehicles, overworked drivers.

Cash-only: No receipts, no insurance, no digital trail.

Disrespect: Women face harassment, people with disabilities are often excluded entirely.

Despite these flaws, this system moves millions daily. It’s resilient — but fragile. One fuel price spike, one government crackdown, and the whole thing wobbles.

🚀 Cities Are Experimenting — With Mixed Results

Governments aren’t blind to the crisis. Major cities are rolling out formal transit systems. But the results are uneven.

Lagos

Nigeria’s commercial capital introduced the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. Dedicated lanes, pre-paid smart cards, and climate-controlled buses. Sounds great on paper. But implementation has been messy.

Long queues.

Inconsistent service.

Aging buses.

And, ironically, more traffic in some areas due to BRT lane conflicts.

Accra

Ghana’s capital tested an e-ticketing system for tro tros and rolled out buses under the “Ayalolo” initiative. But the scheme faltered due to maintenance issues, low public trust, and a lack of rider education.

Dakar

Senegal’s gleaming Train Express Régional (TER) made headlines. Modern, electric, fast. But it’s not cheap — and it mostly serves wealthier suburban routes. For many residents, it’s a symbol of progress and exclusion.

These public projects signal intent. But they often reveal a mismatch between vision and reality — especially when the working class gets left behind.

🧪 Enter the Startups: Ride-Hailing and Fintech Mobility

Where governments struggle, startups sense opportunity.

Companies like Moove, SafeBoda, and Shuttlers are offering new ways to move:

Moove: Financing vehicles for Uber/Bolt drivers.

SafeBoda: Motorcycle taxi services with helmets, apps, and ratings.

Shuttlers: Scheduled minibus rides for white-collar commuters.

These ventures promise:
✅ Cashless payments
✅ GPS tracking
✅ Safer, cleaner rides
✅ Predictable pricing

But here’s the rub: they often cater to the middle and upper class. That’s not inherently bad. But it leaves out the woman selling tomatoes in the market, or the informal worker who can’t afford a smartphone, let alone a car loan.

Even Bolt and Uber, with wide reach, don’t operate in all neighborhoods — citing “low demand” or “safety concerns.” The digital divide quickly becomes a mobility divide.

💡 What Does a Truly Inclusive Transport Future Look Like?

A just and functional transport system in West Africa needs more than apps or rails. It needs inclusion, sustainability, and scale.

Here’s what that could mean:

1. Hybrid Mobility

Don’t replace tro tros — upgrade them. Retrofit with GPS. Offer digital payments and cash options. Regulate safety standards without erasing the informal economy.

2. Subsidized Smart Transport

Public-private partnerships could subsidize routes in low-income areas. Imagine a tiered pricing system where wealthier users pay more, balancing the grid.

3. Data-Driven Urban Planning

City planners need real-time mobility data — where people are going, how long it takes, where gaps exist. Apps like WhereIsMyTransport and mobility surveys can feed that intelligence.

4. Transport as Infrastructure, Not Luxury

When governments invest in roads, they often prioritize cars. That’s backward. Invest in people movers — not status symbols. Buses, shared vans, and pedestrian-friendly lanes move more people per square meter than any SUV ever could.

5. Women and Safety First

Design transport with women in mind. That means lighting, reporting systems, and driver training. A city that’s safe for women is safe for everyone.

🤔 Why It All Matters

Transport is not just about movement. It’s about access: to jobs, education, healthcare, opportunity. If mobility is a privilege, progress will be too.

West Africa stands at a crossroads. The region can leapfrog to smarter, safer, greener mobility — or it can deepen the inequality already etched into its urban landscapes.

The choice isn’t easy. But it’s urgent. Because if public transport collapses, so does the promise of equitable growth.

🔭 Looking Ahead

The most promising future isn’t high-speed trains or flashy ride-hailing apps. It’s systems that understand the commuter in Yopougon, the market woman in Tamale, the student in Abeokuta. It’s about designing for the many, not just the few.

Transport is a public good. West Africa’s future depends on treating it that way.

🟡 This is LYVE Originals — where Africa’s future gets a voice.

👉 Stay tuned. The journey is just beginning.

What’s Next for Public Transport in West Africa?

LYVE Originals — where Africa’s future gets a voice.

Imagine the rhythm of a Wednesday morning in Lagos or Accra: the humid air, the symphony of honking, the crawl of buses, the chaotic dance of the infamous yellow Danfo or trotro. People cling not just to hope, but to the edge of their seats. It’s the daily grind, powered by hustle, not rails or schedules.

And it shows. The system across West Africa – from Dakar to Cotonou – isn't working. It’s a patchwork of informal transport, brilliant in its resilience but breaking under the strain. The question isn't if change is needed, but whose future it will serve in this chaotic, cash-only scramble for a ride.

🚧 The Current Reality: A Hustle Economy on Wheels

For millions, it’s the trotro, the Danfo, the motorcycle taxi – these aren't just vehicles; they're lifelines. They get us to work, school, markets. They embody the African hustle.

But the cost is real:

• Unpredictability: No fixed schedules. Rain, traffic, driver mood – it dictates your journey.
• Safety Risks: Overcrowded, poorly maintained vehicles, drivers pushing limits.
• Cash-Only Blues: No receipts, no insurance, no digital trail. Just a handful of change and a prayer.
• Exclusion & Harassment: Women and people with disabilities often face specific challenges or are simply left behind.

Despite these hurdles, it moves millions. It’s deeply embedded. But it’s also fragile – one fuel hike, one government crackdown, and the whole network feels the tremor.

🚀 Governments Try: Formal Systems, Uneven Results

Seeing the chaos, some cities are trying formal solutions. But the results often fall short, leaving too many behind.

• Lagos: Nigeria’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) – dedicated lanes, smart cards, air-conditioned buses. Sounds good. In practice? Implementation has been a mess: long queues, inconsistent service, aging buses, and ironically, sometimes more traffic. Not quite the revolution promised.
• Accra: Ghana tested e-ticketing, launched the "Ayalolo" buses. But trust was low, maintenance poor, and ridership didn't take off. It faltered.
• Dakar: The shiny Train Express Régional (TER) is modern and fast. But it’s expensive and mostly serves richer suburbs. For many, it feels like progress arriving at the wrong door.

These projects signal ambition. But they often highlight a crucial gap: the vision sometimes outpaces reality, and the needs of the working class can be easily forgotten.

🧪 Startups Enter the Fray: Fintech and Ride-Hailing

While governments stumble, private players sense the space. Apps and services like Moove, SafeBoda, and Shuttlers promise cleaner rides, cashless payments, GPS tracking, predictable pricing.

But here's the catch: their shine often misses a huge part of the population – the informal worker, the market trader, the person without easy access to a smartphone or loan. Even giants like Bolt and Uber operate selectively, citing demand or safety, effectively drawing a digital line in the sand and deepening the mobility divide.

💡 What Should A Truly Inclusive Future Look Like?

A just transport system in West Africa demands more than just apps or new rails. It needs inclusion, sustainability, and scale. Here’s a blueprint:

1. Upgrade, Don’t Replace: Enhance existing services like the Danfo and trotro – retrofit with GPS, offer digital payments alongside cash, enforce basic safety standards. Support the informal economy, don't just bulldoze it away.
2. Subsidize Smart Moves: Use public-private partnerships to fund routes in underserved areas. Consider smart pricing models where wealthier users subsidize cheaper fares for all.
3. Data-Driven Decisions: City planners need intelligence. Use data from existing apps and surveys to understand where people need better transport, not just who uses the new shiny things.
4. People, Not Just Primes: Government transport investment should prioritise moving people affordably (buses, shared vans) over expensive cars and status symbols. Pedestrian-friendly lanes are crucial.
5. Safety for All, Especially Women: Design transport with safety features. Better lighting, reporting mechanisms, trained drivers – a safe system is a usable system for everyone.

🤔 Why Does This Matter?

Transport isn't just about getting from A to B. It's about access: to jobs, education, healthcare, opportunities. If getting around feels like a privilege, then equitable progress will always feel out of reach.

West Africa is at a pivotal moment. We can build a future defined by smarter, safer, inclusive mobility – or we can simply replicate existing inequalities on faster wheels.

The choice is critical. The time to invest in people, not just pavement, is now.

🔭 Looking Ahead with Purpose

The most compelling future isn't defined by the speed of a train or the glitz of a ride-hailing app. It's defined by systems that truly understand the commuter in Yopougon, the market woman in Tamale, the student in Abeokuta. It’s about designing transport for the vast, vibrant majority.

Transport is a public good. West Africa’s future depends on treating it as such.

🟡 This is LYVE Originals — where Africa’s future gets a voice.

👉 Stay tuned. The journey towards better transport is just beginning.