Road Transport Reform in Africa: Pathways to Efficiency, Safety, and Sustainability
Across Africa, the road transport sector remains both a vital economic lifeline and a significant obstacle to broader social and economic progress. Road networks connect people to essential services, businesses to markets, and countries to regional and global trade systems. Yet, persistent inefficiencies and systemic challenges have prevented the sector from reaching its full potential. High accident rates, elevated transport costs, low profitability, a lack of professionalisation, and pressing environmental concerns continue to slow development. Security risks compound these challenges, creating a landscape where transport does not always serve as an enabler of growth but instead as a bottleneck to progress.
These issues are not new. They have been well-documented across emerging markets, with Africa particularly affected due to a combination of historical, institutional, and infrastructural constraints. The underlying causes run deep, ranging from outdated regulations and weak governance frameworks to insufficient compliance mechanisms and a lack of professional training. Many operators remain informal, lacking the resources or support needed to improve safety, service quality, or profitability. Without stronger formalisation, robust certification systems, and adequate institutional backing, progress remains slow and uneven.
Recognising the urgent need for change, the International Road Transport Union (IRU) and the World Bank, with contributions from the Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP), have joined forces to publish a comprehensive road transport sector reform guide. This guide is designed to provide governments, public authorities, and industry practitioners with a practical roadmap to reform. It emphasises not just infrastructural development, but also institutional strengthening, regulatory improvements, and inclusive collaboration with the private sector.
A New Reform Framework
The reform guide, launched at the 10th International Seminar on Transport and Research in Sub-Saharan Africa (SITRASS) in Lomé, Togo, represents an updated and modernised blueprint for addressing Africa’s transport challenges. It builds on earlier versions, notably the 2016 edition, but goes much further by incorporating new realities—rapid technological change, shifting trade dynamics, changing user expectations, and the urgency of climate action.
Speaking at the seminar, Jean Acri, IRU Senior Adviser, stressed the importance of systemic reform:
“There can be no trade development and regional integration dynamics in Africa without a structured and efficient transport sector. We need to advance a comprehensive approach to sectoral reform. That is exactly what the IRU and World Bank sector reform guide for decision-makers and practitioners sets out to do.”
This comprehensive approach reflects a recognition that road transport reform cannot be achieved through piecemeal measures. Instead, it requires a holistic vision that addresses not just roads and vehicles, but also governance, professionalisation, training, safety, gender dynamics, and environmental sustainability.
Key Pillars of Reform
The guide identifies several priority areas that governments and stakeholders must tackle if Africa is to unlock the full potential of road transport:
- Creating an Enabling Environment
Effective reform starts with policy and governance. Governments must update outdated regulatory frameworks, strengthen compliance, and foster transparent, fair, and competitive markets. This includes eliminating unnecessary barriers to entry and creating clear, consistent rules that encourage formalisation. - Professionalising the Sector
Informality remains one of the biggest obstacles to safe and efficient road transport. By formalising operators, strengthening licensing and certification systems, and promoting compliance, the sector can build a reputation for safety, reliability, and professionalism. - Providing Vocational Training and Building Training Centres
Skilled drivers are at the heart of any transport system. Yet, in many African countries, there are few opportunities for formal training. Expanding vocational training and building dedicated centres will ensure drivers are better prepared for modern transport needs. Professional training also provides opportunities for career development, improving job quality in a sector often marked by low pay and poor working conditions. - Eliminating Market Access Restrictions
Excessive restrictions on market access often limit competition and discourage investment. By opening up access in a regulated but competitive manner, African markets can attract more operators, encourage innovation, and lower costs for consumers. - Upgrading Vehicles
Many fleets operating on African roads are old, unsafe, and environmentally damaging. Upgrading vehicles through renewal schemes, incentives for cleaner technologies, and stricter safety standards is essential. Not only does this improve safety, but it also reduces operating costs and environmental impacts. - Decarbonising Transport
The global shift towards greener transport is no less important in Africa. By integrating decarbonisation strategies—such as promoting cleaner fuels, electrification, and efficient fleet management—African countries can reduce emissions while also cutting long-term costs. - Managing Externalities
Road transport has significant externalities, from road safety risks to environmental damage. Reform efforts must incorporate strategies to reduce accidents, improve road safety culture, mitigate environmental harm, and address security challenges, ensuring that communities benefit rather than suffer from transport activities.
Beyond Infrastructure: The Need for Comprehensive Change
For decades, infrastructure has been the central focus of transport reform efforts across Africa. While investment in roads, bridges, and logistics hubs remains critical, infrastructure alone cannot guarantee efficiency, safety, or sustainability. As Jean Acri highlighted at SITRASS:
“Addressing infrastructure shortfalls alone is not enough to unlock efficient and sustainable mobility for people, businesses and communities across Africa. We need to provide the other conditions needed, such as formalising and professionalising access to the driver profession, including training capacity, market access and improved operating conditions, to unleash the potential of road transport. Strong political will is essential to make this happen.”
This recognition is crucial. Without strong governance, professionalised labour markets, accessible training, and robust regulation, investments in infrastructure risk being underutilised or undermined. Trucks may have better roads to drive on, but if drivers lack proper training, if compliance is weak, or if vehicles remain outdated, the full benefits of such investments will not be realised.
A Sector at the Crossroads
Africa’s road transport sector is at a turning point. On one hand, the continent is experiencing rapid urbanisation, rising trade volumes, and growing regional integration initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). These trends point to enormous opportunities for growth and development. On the other hand, without urgent reforms, transport inefficiencies could undermine these opportunities, making trade more costly, slowing down integration, and leaving millions excluded from access to reliable mobility.
The IRU-World Bank reform guide therefore arrives at a critical time. By presenting a clear set of actionable pathways, it offers governments and stakeholders a way forward—a chance to transform transport from a barrier into an enabler of inclusive and sustainable development.
Building a Sustainable Future for African Road Transport
The challenges facing Africa’s road transport sector are significant, but they are not insurmountable. With the right mix of political will, institutional reforms, private sector collaboration, and targeted investments, the sector can be transformed. The reform guide by IRU and the World Bank is more than just a policy document; it is a practical tool designed to help decision-makers move from diagnosis to action.
By addressing deep-rooted structural challenges, professionalising the workforce, upgrading fleets, and integrating sustainability into reform strategies, African nations can create transport systems that are safer, more efficient, and better aligned with global climate goals.
The message is clear: road transport reform is not simply about moving people and goods—it is about unlocking economic potential, enabling social inclusion, and securing a sustainable future for generations to come.