The third batch of FOTON buses for the Antananarivo public transport network arrived this Friday at the port of Toamasina. This delivery, consisting of 169 vehicles, marks the completion of the fleet renewal program planned as part of the project to modernize and improve urban transport in the capital.

These vehicles are in addition to the units already delivered in June and July, bringing to 312 the total number of buses received as part of a vast plan to improve mobility in the capital and its peripheries.

The vehicles, with mixed electric and thermal engines, will gradually be deployed on the urban axes of Antananarivo facing increasingly intense traffic jams. According to President Andry Rajoelina, the city is now home to more than 3 million inhabitants, although it was originally built to accommodate 300,000. This demographic surge has contributed to the saturation of traffic routes, as it was not accompanied by a significant adaptation of the public transport network

The government is banking on these new buses to strengthen the formal mobility offer, reduce dependence on often outdated taxis and minibuses, and improve traffic flow during peak hours. Beyond their deployment, the strategy of the Malagasy executive aims at multimodality. Current projects include the rehabilitation of the urban road network, the modernization of railway lines and the construction of the very first urban cable car network, which is expected to be put into service before the end of the year

These projects are part of a policy to open up urban areas and reduce the carbon footprint of the transport sector, in line with the country's climate commitments.