Ivory Coast
Ivorians to Ride in Home-Built Buses
Posted on January 20, 2009 by Manasi Sharma
The Ivory Coast has come up with a new African-designed bus to combat its battered roads. Photo: Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team in the CAR (flickr)
Bad roads and battered, overcrowded buses are a common sight throughout West Africa. But a company in Ivory Coast has built the first buses it says are designed to accommodate Africa's needs. The new buses are said to be hardier and contain fewer seats in order to accommodate up to 100 people.
"This is an African design for Africa," said Sotra Industries director Mamadou Coulibaly in an interview with BBC News. Sotra’s new buses also will help consumers avoid buying expensive foreign vehicles that most Ivory Coast residents can't afford.
Sotra hopes that their new buses not only meet the needs of Ivorians, but also other West Africans. They plan to expand into the regional market by producing vehicles for Mali, Burkina Faso and Senegal.
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