Addis Ababa’s Public Transport Operator Adds 110 New Busses to its Fleet
ADDIS ABABA – Anbessa City Bus Enterprise, a public transport operator in Addis Ababa, has added 110 new buses to its fleet.
The buses officially started providing services in the capital in an event attended by top officials of the federal and the city administration on Friday.
“The buses will help to narrow the growing gap between access and demand for problems in the city,” said Dagmawit Moges, minister of transport and logistics.
Shortage of vehicles and long queues at terminals and stations are common to see in Addis Abeba, a city with over 3.2 million residents dependent on public transport.
On average, a commuter has to wait for an average of 10 minutes to get the service.
Officials say the purchase is a part of the plan to boost the public transport services stressed by a number of factors including growing population and mobility due to economic growth.
The Administration spent $16.5 million to acquire 110 buses from Chinese bus manufacturer Yutong with credit gained from the World Bank.
Additional 250 modern buses will join the existing fleet in the next two weeks, Mayor Adanech Abiebie said, to further improve the transportation services to residents of the city.
They will join about 1,500 buses, including those operated by Anbessa and Sheger Mass Transportation Services Enterprise, on more than 125 bus routes.
The buses, along with more than 10, 000 other vehicles, provide transport services to 2.5 million people per day. Anbessa alone serves 300,000 commuters daily, according to a recent report.
