Urban transport experts brainstorm on greater mobility

In line with the Global Initiative “Mobilise Your City” which was launched in December 2015 during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dubbed COP21, Cameroon is already making strides to refurbish its transportation systems in a bid to better deal with greenhouse gas emissions, mitigation and adaptation while ensuring proper development of its cities.

This is why, yesterday June 28, 2016, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Jean Claude Mbwentchou opened a two-day national workshop on urban mobility with theme; “Urban Transit Planning: A Tool for Balanced Development of Cities.”

Jean Claude Mbwentchou reiterated the hurdles people face circulating within various cities in Cameroon, particularly in the cities of Douala and Yaounde where traffic congestion is seen at all times of the day.

He also noted that with the increasing rate of rural exodus, urban areas will become more and more congested, with many people having cars.

This, according to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, will lead to poor air quality due to increased carbon from vehicles, increased road fatalities, poor cities and less economic efficiency.

That is why Jean Claude Mbwentchou called on participants to draw up a proper transport plan that can effectively increase mobility in Cameroon’s cities by 2020.

While presenting Cameroon’s urban mobility strategy perspectives, the Coordinator of the Technical Secretariat of the Steering Committee for the Project to set-up an Integrated System of urban mass transportation in the country, Ngounga Mouchili Amadou said there are long-term plans to organise cities in Cameroon in such a way as to create short distances between places.

There are also plans to help road users change their behaviour while encouraging them walk more than driving as well as using public vehicles instead of purchasing private cars.