Minibuses authorized for urban transport

The Minister of Transport, Robert Nkili, met with officials of the transport unions on Tuesday announcing the authorization of the use of minibuses (15-19 seater) for urban transport.

"I'll sign the law soon as I am already in talks with the city authorities," said the Mint, insisting that it must be vehicles "in good condition".

In order to provide solution to the problem of urban transport, the Minister also mentioned the railway: "We must also intervene in the rail system. The train should be able to solve the problem of urban mobility," he said highlighting small stations across the city where users go back and forth in order to go about their businesses.

Going back to the roads, Governor Joseph Beti Assomo, thanking the minister for the support offered Douala which is plagued with urban mobility problems, welcomed the advent of transport by minibus. "The taxis are not enough" in the city, the governor noted.

Road users mass up at different points of the city in the morning and evening, sometimes willing to jostle for a taxi which is insufficient. The coming of the minibus will bring a difference. "We will organize from here, ways to determine the guidelines and approval modes," added the governor.

At the meeting which had present the driving school unions, Robert Nkili took the opportunity to make a clarification: "I have not come to close driving schools, I have come to help them be better," said the minister, recalling that he had ordered the audit on their activities.

His wish is that all these institutions have a legal existence which is a vow about to be realized: "We have 85% of driving schools legalized," he revealed. The other wish is that the "remaining quickly send their documents, and that solutions to the various problems are found altogether."