The future of transport in Africa must not be one of congestion and exclusion.
Across African cities, transport pollution is already a public health crisis.
This week we marked the UN World Sustainable Transport Day, celebrated annually to highlight and promote safe, affordable, accessible, efficient, and sustainable transport systems. It emphasises transport’s key role in supporting sustainable development, economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection. This year, the theme focuses on the road transport sector in anticipation of the upcoming UN Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026–2035). The day also follows the momentum from COP30 climate conference and underscores practical tools to achieve greener, safer, and more efficient mobility and logistics globally.
When we imagine the daily rhythms of our lives years from now: commuting to work, getting our children to school, visiting friends on the weekend, or traveling to neighbouring counties at the Coast, Rift Valley or highlands to unwind, we resign ourselves to choking air, endless traffic jams, and cities that deprioritise public transport, forcing us into costly, inefficient choices? Or do we dare to envision something different: African cities reborn as walking cities, where clean air fills our lungs, where affordable, reliable public transport connects us all and where shaded boulevards and green corridors invite us to move with ease?
