Africa Transportation News 2022 Week 21

By TechCrunch: Uber today announced a significant milestone — it has completed 1 billion rides across all its markets in Africa. This feat translates to over 10 billion kilometres in terms of distance covered, according to the company. This milestone for Uber is coming nearly a decade after the mobility tech company set up shop on the continent in Johannesburg, South Africa. It has since established a presence in seven other African countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Ivory Coast. https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/24/uber-hits1-billion-rides-in-africa/

By The South African: A total of 127 teenagers were injured in a concertina-bus rollover on the R40.  https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/mass-casualty-r40-bus-rollover-leaves-127-teenagers-injured-breaking-news-latest/

ByIOL: Cape Town – Police have confirmed they are probing the cause of a bus crash on Saturday evening in which a 2-year-old child died and several other people were injured. They were later discharged from hospitals in George and Knysna. The bus was carrying 35 people, including a rugby team, staff, supporters and family members when it crashed down an embankment in the Wilderness area, outside George. https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/news/western-cape-police-probe-bus-crash-in-which-a-toddler-died-in-the-wilderness-area-d1fa857a-3565-41de-825d-57efd8524ac8

By Global Citizen: The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating consequences for communities around the world, especially those living in poverty. After South Africa imposed a shutdown to contain the public health emergency, more than 1 in 5 people in the country reported that they could not get enough food.That’s when the activist Ilka Stein decided to open a mobile, zero-waste food bus that would provide meals to poor communities. Since it’s begun driving around neighborhoods, the bus has helped mitigate hunger and give families nutritious alternatives to processed fast food. https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/african-solutions-to-food-insecurity-hunger/

By GNN Liberia: ArcelorMittal Liberia reports deliberate attempts by some unknown individuals to sabotage its railway operations by breaking two pairs of joint bars on the rail track.  The damage to the rail track occurred at Km 231.350 in Nimba County during the early morning hours of May 20, 2022. Arriving on the scene, an emergency response crew discovered that the two regular joint bars along with their bolts and nuts holding the closure rails on both sides were removed and taken away with the possible intent to cause train derailment. https://gnnliberia.com/2022/05/24/unknown-individuals-damage-section-of-rail-track/

By Business Daily Africa: The State wants to double the fine for vandalising electricity transmission lines, railway and road furniture to Sh20 million, in the latest push to deter the vice that costs the economy billions every year. The proposed increase is contained in the Statute Miscellaneous Amendment Bill, 2022 currently before Parliament for debate and passage. The government’s push for stiffer fines comes amid increasing vandalism of critical infrastructure including electricity lines, pylons and transformers, the Nairobi Expressway and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/economy/rail-power-lines-vandals-now-face-sh20m-penalty-3827332

By Zawya: Tanzania is ready for regional integration and is in the process of completing road and railway networks with the goal of linking neighbouring countries, hence contributing to continental integration efforts, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has said. However, the country will need more external funding to finance the construction of the next phases of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) as well as proposed highways to Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, she said on Wednesday in Ghana after receiving an award for her country’s recent infrastructure projects. https://www.zawya.com/en/projects/construction/tanzania-gearing-up-to-connect-countries-through-rail-road-cixejpni

By Defence  Web: Earlier this year elements of the SA Army used rail to move prime mission equipment – a first in the 28 years existence of the national defence force – a welcome tasking noted as “refreshing” by respected defence and military analyst Helmoed Heitman. The decision to use rail rather than road, according to SA Soldier correspondents captains Thandi Setati and Boipelo Kolokoto, was prompted in part by this year’s State of the Nation Address (SONA). https://www.defenceweb.co.za/featured/return-to-rail-for-logistics-good-analyst/

By Rail Journal: Transport minister, Mr Fikile Mbalula, has announced that capital transfers to the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) will rise to Rand 13.5bn ($US 11.6bn) in 2024-25 from Rand 12.6bn in 2022-23, as the government continues its efforts to restore the country’s heavily vandalised commuter network. https://www.railjournal.com/africa/prasa-funding-rises-to-help-commuter-recovery/

By Techpoint: The Africa Mobility Conference will be held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Thursday, June 2, 2022. The conference will have some of the most brilliant minds and stakeholders in the transportation sector, including government and private players. With plans to engineer extensive discussions on policies and environmental drivers for mobility growth and sustainable business models, and tech innovations in the sector, there will be two panel sessions.  https://techpoint.africa/2022/05/27/africa-mobility-conference/

By Afrik 21: In Egypt, the multinational automotive group Stellantis will build a plant for the local manufacture and export of electric vehicles. The project, which will be implemented by 2025, will develop the green mobility sector in the country of the pharaohs. https://www.afrik21.africa/en/egypt-stellantis-to-establish-an-electric-vehicle-manufacturing-plant-in-2025/