A bus rapid transit system with dedicated lanes will significantly improve the efficiency of public transport on the main transport axes from the capital Cayenne to the municipalities of Matoury and Rémire-Montjoly in French Guiana.
- 14 January 2022
Managed by the Association of Municipalities of the Central Coast (CACL), the project is essential for structuring the agglomeration around a reliable public transport network and for rationalising the costs of the system.
Comprehensive transport infrastructure
The current project will involve the construction of 5.6 km of road infrastructure with a dedicated bus lane on the existing A bus line that connects Old Port Market in Cayenne centre to Maringouins in the Matoury municipality.
Work will include the reconstruction of roads, platforms, public spaces, stations, passenger transfer terminals, park-and-ride facilities, signalling and traffic management systems. Two terminal stations – Old Port Market and Maringouins – will be built, along with a bus depot at Maringouins which will be used to service buses operating on both the A and B lines and those on other CACL lines.
The second stage of the project, planned for ERDF co-funding in the 2021-2027 period, comprises work on 4.5 km of road infrastructure on the B line, which connects the Old Port Market to Mount Lucas in the Rémire-Montjoly municipality.
Finally, 12 new hybrid gasoline-electric engine articulated buses will be purchased. These will each have a capacity for 110 passengers and will be adapted for people with reduced mobility.
Traffic congestion
Most of the country’s administrative and business activities are concentrated in Cayenne city centre, causing serious traffic congestion.
In total, 44% of the country’s population lives in the Cayenne municipality, representing 61 800 out of 140 454 people in 2018. The municipality’s population is expected to grow at a rate of 0.42% per annum, to 65 000, in 2030.
Developing neighbourhoods
The new bus system will directly serve 31 000 inhabitants. In addition to providing an efficient public transport system for local residents and tourists, it will encourage the development of neighbourhoods that have been prioritised in city policies and will reduce traffic congestion and travelling time in the heart of the agglomeration.
Furthermore, the increased use of public transport and the projected decline in private vehicle and taxi use is expected to reduce pollution by 334.13 tonnes CO2-equivalent during the 2023 operating year.
In the current economic slowdown resulting from restrictions on mobility and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, this is largest public project in the territory over the short term.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Public Transport with Priority Lanes (TCSP) of the Central Littoral Agglomeration” is EUR 166 758 175, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 26 000 000 through the “Regional programme Guyane Conseil Régional” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Improving energy efficiency and offering clean public transport in Cayenne area”.