Douala BRT Project Trims Costs, Seeks Communication Specialist

542 people will be compensated for the project, which will impact their property. The initial estimate of 12.4 billion FCFA was based on an inflated list of beneficiaries and overvalued property.

The reduction in compensation costs will lower the overall project cost from 335.3 billion to 328.1 billion FCFA.

Compensation Delays Project Start

The issue of compensation is one of the reasons for the delay in the project, which was initially scheduled to start in 2022. Although funding for the project has been secured, "several things remain to be done" before construction can begin, which has been postponed to 2024 by the Douala City Council.

Communication Specialist Needed

On March 11, 2024, the Mayor of Douala, Roger Mbassa Ndine, signed a recruitment notice for a communication specialist to design and execute the project's communication strategy.

The specialist will be contracted for "a period of one year renewable, depending on the duration of the project and performance in the position, with a six-month probationary period," according to the recruitment notice.

The communication specialist's salary will be paid from the 125.6 billion FCFA provided by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the non-concessional window of the World Bank, which has lent 260.8 billion FCFA of the project's total cost. Public-private partnerships are expected to provide the remaining 62.1 billion FCFA.

Project Details

The construction of the Douala BRT network includes 28 km of dedicated bus lanes with interchanges, 44 stations, four terminals, drainage systems, a water supply system, street lighting, and the purchase of buses or the implementation of a traffic management system.

The BRT is expected to provide the economic capital of Cameroon with a modern transportation system for improved mobility.