Technical Assistance for the Soft Mobility Program of Antananarivo in Madagascar
Context
In the heart of Madagascar's capital, Antananarivo, walking is widespread, and cycling is commonly used despite the city's hilly terrain. Household motorization is low, with most traffic related to economic activities or informal collective transport like "Taxis Bé," motorcycle taxis, and handcarts used for goods transport. Motorized vehicles contribute to severe congestion and extended travel times. Sidewalks, when present, are often occupied by street vendors, forcing pedestrians to walk at the edges or even in the middle of the streets.
Following the November 2019 municipal elections, Mayor Naina Andriantsitohaina launched an ambitious program to address urban investment deficits in Antananarivo. Supported by the government, the program includes a new hygiene code, waste management, a new traffic plan, and administrative modernization through data digitization. The "Reconquête de l’Iarivo" strategy aims to improve population well-being, strengthen local structures, promote good governance, restore green spaces, and preserve heritage.
In this context, the municipality of Antananarivo sought AFD's support for implementing its strategy, identifying several intervention axes: defining and implementing a soft mobility and road safety strategy, supporting citizen initiatives to improve public spaces via an "urban nursery," and strengthening the CUA's project management capabilities.
Objective
Espelia, in consortium with Artelia, was recruited for the first component of this program, based on a triple technical, environmental & social, and institutional approach to:
- Develop a program to promote soft modes in Antananarivo, with a long-term action plan and quick wins to initiate the process;
- Set sustainable mobility goals and reaffirm the universal right to mobility, crucial for economic development, quality of life improvement, environmental quality, and safety;
- Propose clear project management frameworks, ensuring stakeholders have the necessary human and financial resources to fulfill their missions.
Our contribution
The project aims to formulate a set of actions promoting soft mobility (pedestrians and cyclists) in Antananarivo, potentially financed by AFD. It includes defining the most appropriate governance model and a capacity-building program to enable the Urban Community of Antananarivo (CUA) to effectively implement the project. In this context, Espelia has undertaken the following tasks:
- Mapping stakeholders in soft mobility and assessing CUA's capabilities;
- Conducting a participatory workshop on the program's content and organization, including discussions on the organization, training needs for staff, and necessary human and technical resources to implement the program;
- Proposing an organizational and governance model for implementing the soft mobility program according to project types (with or without construction, varying sizes and complexities, etc.) and recommendations concerning the scope of Technical Assistance and Project Management Assistance.
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