Mozambique: Government concerned about the pace of BRT Bus Rapid Transit, MOVE Maputo project

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Mozambique: Government concerned about the pace of BRT Bus Rapid Transit, MOVE Maputo project

2:32 CAT | 03 Jun 2025

Photo: Ministério dos Transportes e Logistica

The government is concerned about the pace of implementation of the construction works of the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) infrastructures, within the scope of the Urban Mobility Project for the Metropolitan Area of Maputo.

The concern was expressed this Monday, June 2, by the Minister of Transport and Logistics, João Jorge Matlombe, at the opening of the Strategic Committee held in Maputo city for an intermediate evaluation of this project, which has been in effective implementation since December 2022, with completion scheduled for December 2027.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister João Matlombe noted that the assessment carried out revealed slowness in the disbursement of funds, which conditions the pace of effective implementation of the planned activities, especially the infrastructure works that give substance to the project.

“The project has already signed contracts worth $55 million and expects to sign the remaining contracts for this financing by mid-2026,” the minister said. “The disbursement reached $40 million in April 2025, a figure below the initial forecast,” said Matlombe. “We regret the slowness of the approval processes by the financier, which compromised the launch of the tender for the civil construction of the BRT infrastructure, causing delays to the schedule,” he added

The Urban Mobility Project for the Maputo Metropolitan Area, better known as MOVE – Maputo, is an initiative of the Government of Mozambique creating a modern and sustainable mass transit solution – the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit). This project has been under implementation since 2022, with financial support from the World Bank, through a donation of US$250 million. The government designed this project with the central objective of improving mobility and accessibility in the municipalities of Maputo and Matola, with a significant impact on the entire Maputo Metropolitan Area.

The main components include the construction of infrastructure, the establishment of a BRT service, institutional and regulatory reforms, reforms to the body of public transport operators and a whole set of tangible, direct and indirect benefits for passengers and the general population.

Among the progress made, it is worth noting the fulfilment of five of the seven contractual obligations, namely the review of the decree that created the Maputo Metropolitan Transport Agency, to establish mechanisms for coordination, planning, regulation and quality monitoring at the metropolitan level. Also noteworthy is the establishment of a regulatory framework for public transport, harmonised at the metropolitan level and the establishment of a metropolitan public transport network, which is in progress and expected to be completed by the end of this year.

As a result of the inclusive approach that has been implemented, the project team now includes not only hired consultants, but also professionals from the municipalities of Maputo and Matola who are engaged in the activities of this strategic project.

In the bidding component, almost all activities have been completed. Of a total of 57 activities included in the work plan, only three are in the bidding process. The work carried out includes study visits and the implementation of professionalization courses for sector technicians, drivers and bus conductors to professionalize operators so that passenger transport services are provided outside of informality and in compliance with the quality and sustainability standards necessary for the modernization of the sector.

In the works component, progress has been made in the five road rehabilitation contracts, known as Quickwins. This work was delayed in its execution, and the Minister urged the project coordination team to speed up the completion of these works, for the benefit of the residents who are anxiously awaiting this infrastructure.

The minister also instructed MOVE Maputo to clearly identify the reasons that may be causing these delays, to prevent them from happening again in the upcoming major tenders.

As for the prospects, work is ongoing to launch seven major construction and supply tenders, awaiting approval from the financier for their launch, totalling US$210 million.

These activities are expected to be implemented during the remaining time of the project (until December 2027), during which time the BRT road infrastructure will be built, including stations and stops, a vehicle maintenance centre will be set up and an efficient digital ticketing and passenger information system implemented.

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