BURKINA FASO: Assessment of private sector participation potential for the provision of public transport services in Bobo Dioulasso

Bobo-Dioulasso, the economic hub of Burkina Faso, is experiencing rapid population growth. By 2020, its population of approximately 900,000 accounted for 15–20 percent of the country’s urban population. This growth has led to significant urban sprawl, particularly in peripheral areas where informal housing developments have surged. Consequently, the demand for transportation has risen sharply. However, the city’s historical layout, which concentrates administrative, economic, and social activities in the center, lacks sufficient infrastructure, including paved roads in outlying areas, exacerbating congestion on main roads during peak hours.

Currently, most motorized travel in Bobo-Dioulasso relies on private transport, particularly two-wheelers, alongside inter-urban bus services operated by private providers. Urban public transport options are minimal, with only a few buses run by the state-owned transport company, SOTRACO. The absence of a structured urban bus or minibus system presents a significant opportunity for exploring modern business models to establish a private-sector-led urban transport system in the city.

To support this initiative, PPIAF helped assess the feasibility of private sector participation in urban bus transport services. The activity focused on evaluating regulatory gaps and constraints, identifying appropriate business models, and proposing improvements to existing rules and procedures. This included a review of international best practices to attract private investment in urban transport services.

The study’s findings have provided valuable insights and facilitated policy discussions on urban transport solutions in Bobo-Dioulasso, even as the project’s scope evolved. These insights are contributing to the preparation and implementation of a new urban transport project by the World Bank, aimed at modernizing and expanding transportation infrastructure to better meet the needs of the city’s growing population.