Abidjan Transport Company (Sotra) plans to increase its bus fleet next year. The public company will acquire a total of 500 new buses of 13 m, 450 of which are diesel buses and the remaining 50 will be gas buses.   

The buses will be supplied by Scania, a Swedish manufacturer of commercial vehicles, and a deal was inked in that regard yesterday Dec 10, between Méité Bouaké, MD of Sotra, and Frederik Morsing, Scania’s MD, in the presence of the Ivorian minister of transport, Amadou Koné, and the Swedish ambassador, Maria Leissner.

“This agreement is part of the President of the Republic's program which aims to provide Sotra with 2,000 buses by 2020. The objective is to improve the living conditions of people living in Abidjan, and increase the competitiveness of the city,” Méité Bouaké said.

Delivery date will be known after the conclusion of the financing contract, currently under negotiation with the Ministry of Transport. Last October, Tata Motors also expressed its intention to support Sotra in the renewal of its bus fleet. Since 2017, the Indian manufacturer has supplied 500 new buses to the Ivorian company.

Romuald Ngueyap