(Business in Cameroon) - The Belgian-Turkish consortium Iristone-Ilci announced it is starting construction of an 18-km tramway in Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital, in the first half this year.
According to the related document, work will last 3 years and the facility could be partly commissioned in 2021 “if the deadlines for prior actions are met, in particular the conclusion to date of the commercial contract between Iristone-Ilci and the Cameroonian government”. The start of negotiations is “imminent”, the group said.
In detail, the tramway will have an autonomous power plant installed in the Bonabéri industrial area, whose capacity exceeds its operational needs. This autonomous plant will improve the attractiveness of Bonaberi to industrial units.
In need to successfully complete work, Iristone-Ilci set up a group of companies active in civil engineering, electricity and signaling, including the German Siemens and the Canadian Bombardier Transportation.
Whilst we have no accurate information yet about the project’s cost, Iristone-Ilci said “the studies for the insertion of the line, the autonomous energy solution and the financing plans eligible for international funds have been carried out and approved by the parties”.
The city train called “tramway” is a mass transport mode, widely used in European cities and gradually being adopted in major African capitals. According to specialists, it offers many advantages in terms of speed, punctuality, transport volume, safety and ecology.
Let’s note that this is not the first time that a tramway project has been announced in Cameroon. Back in 2014, the Belgian company Prefarails signed a memorandum of understanding with the Cameroonian government for such a project but no further step forward was made until now.
Sylvain Andzongo