Rapid urbanization and increasing demand for transportation
In Africa, rapid urbanization will lead to increased demand for transportation.
Rising economic levels, asset ownership and educational levels that are leading to a growing middle-class of over 300 million are increasing the purchasing power of the continent’s populations making it possible for them to buy cars.
In 2020, the motorization rate for Sub Saharan Africa was currently low at 42 cars per 1,000 people, as compared to the US’s 837 and China’s 173. The global average is 180 per 1,000 people.
Africa is lagging behind the rest of the world
Main challenges in Africa
Africa is lagging behind for many reasons such as:
- Lack of Network and infrastructure
- Low network connectivity
- Lack of local solutions. Foreign developed solutions are not necessarily tailored to local markets
- Ineffective traffic law enforcement
- Poor training and lack of local skills
ITS implementation in Africa
In south Africa follozing solutions have been implemented:
- Multi-modal transport Apps have been developed to assist commuters.
- Other projects include a Freeway and Incident Management System on major routes around metropolitan areas co-ordinated via Transport Management Centers.
Ethiopia implemented :
- A traffic Signal Control System (TSCS) for the City of Addis Ababa
- An Electronic Toll Collection Systems (ETC) on the Addis Ababa – Adama (Nazret) Expressway.
- Ethiopia also implemented a Transportation Management Center (TMC), in the two cities (Addis Ababa and Adama), with the integration of traffic CCTV cameras, Variable Message Signs (VMS) and Traffic Signal Control System (TSCS)
Ethiopia implemented :
- A traffic Signal Control System (TSCS) for the City of Addis Ababa
- An Electronic Toll Collection Systems (ETC) on the Addis Ababa – Adama (Nazret) Expressway.
- Ethiopia also implemented a Transportation Management Center (TMC), in the two cities (Addis Ababa and Adama), with the integration of traffic CCTV cameras, Variable Message Signs (VMS) and Traffic Signal Control System (TSCS)
Key metrics showing the importance to implement effective ITS in Algeria
Algeria population was estimated at 43,851,044 people at mid year 2020 according to UN data. The population was estimated at 31,042,235 in 2000 and is expected to be circa 60 millions in 2050
72.9 % of the population was urban (31,950,910 people in 2020) while the urban population was abour 52 percent of the Algerian population in 1990
The African region has the highest road traffic fatality rate, despite being the region with the lowest level of motorization. As per public sources, 2,294 deaths and 9,963 injuries in 6,195 traffic accidents that occurred nationwide during the year 2020 in Algeria
Congestion is a recurring issue in main cities in Algeria. From Algiers to Constantine via Oran, automobilists are complaining about traffic congestion. For example, 1,6 millions vehicles are immatriculated only in Algiers.
Passenger cars per 1,000 people rose 1.56% to 96.8 vehicles in Algeria in 2019, according to the National Statistical Office.
When compared to Algeria’s main peers, passenger cars per 1,000 people in Tunisia amounted to 89.2 vehicles, 80,2 vehicles in Morocco in 2019 and 53 per 1000 in Egypt
Algerian recent investments in public transports
Algiers Metro was inaugurated on 31 October 2011 after nearly three decades of development. Tramways started operation in Algiers, Oran, Constantine, Sidi Bel Abbès, Sétif, Mostaganem and Ouargla.
The most important project remains the East-West Highway,the highway, which runs for 1216 km from the moroccan border to the tunisian border.
ITS in Algeria
The metro system is equipped with Siemens’ Trainguard MT communications-based train control (CBTC).
The new automatic train control system works by means of bidirectional continuous communication between the on-board and wayside equipment.
Siemens also supplied Digiloc train location systems and Airlink radio communication system, and was responsible for the installation of track, power supply system, fare collection equipment and operations control centre.
In relation to tramways, it is worth mentioning the importance and effectiveness of the control centres (PCC) on Algeria’s new tramways, and Oran in particular. There are around 200 CCTV cameras along the system, which contribute a good deal to security, at higher levels than that introduced on the pioneer Alger installation.
All systems – cameras, radio intercom, ticket machines – are capable of continuous recording and data can be played back at will.
Signalling is divided into six zones, covering the two termini and selected intermediate sections; the zones are therefore not necessarily contiguous, leaving some sections of line unsupervised by the central control
Creating a local ecosystem
We are not aware of any ITS system developed in Algeria. All systems used as per our knowledge are imported systems.
There is a need to create a local ecosystem requires cooperation of various stakeholders, from governemental agencies and engineers schools to private companies
Open sources systems are already available therefore there is no real reason explaining the importation of pre-built solutions instead of trying to build a local solution.
For example, the following open source tools for geographic analysis in transport planning are available :
- Transportation Analysis and Simulation System via an integrated set of tools developed to conduct regional transportation system analyse (Transims)
- Driving Simulation (OpenDS )
- Simulation environment that is capable of generating node movement using different movement models and routing messages between nodes with various DTN routing algorithms and sender and receiver types (The one)
- Framework for implementing large-scale agent-based transport simulations (Matsim)
- Multi-modal traffic simulation package designed to handle large networks ( SUMO)
- Software for geographic transport data analysis and planning (opengat)
- Game exploring how small changes to a city affect the movement of drivers, cyclists, transit users, and pedestrians (Abstreet). It works anywhere in the world, thanks to Openstreet
- Software to predict flows of pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles and public transport users; these inform models of health, community cohesion, land values, town centre vitality, land use, accidents and crime. This open source software provides a simpler alternative to transport models, particularly for sustainable transport (SDNA)