According to a press statement seen by Business Insider Africa, the project was initiated by the Ugandan Government and is being sponsored by the World Bank. The aim is to improve the East African country's transportation infrastructure, whilst encouraging economic growth.
The public bus project will start with Uganda's capital city of Kampala, and ultimately include other cities and municipalities such as Entebbe, Buloba, Nsangi, Wakiso, Kira Town, etc.
As the operator of the project, Tondeka Metro Company will develop the electric bus fleet in Kampala, starting with an initial 1,030 buses. Eventually, the fleet is expected to be increased to 3,000 buses, making it one of the largest public bus fleets in Africa.
Do note that TMC aims to execute the project by combining Optibus’ software platform with SCINTL’s IT infrastructure. Specifically, Optibus’ software platform will be used to plan all routes and timetables in the bus network, optimise resource allocation and manage daily operations in real-time.
While commenting on the partnership, the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Optibus, Amos Haggiag said: “We are thrilled to join this pioneering partnership to build Africa’s most technologically advanced bus fleet and bus operations solution. Millions of Ugandans will finally have access to the safe, reliable public transportation they deserve, powered by the market’s most sophisticated software solution. Optibus is proud to support Kampala in becoming a model city for transportation infrastructure".
On his part, the Head of Technology at TMC, Kevin Short, described the project as a great opportunity Uganda and a gamechanger for the transportation industry in Africa.
