Your commute to work, the family gathering, the food on your table, and the goods you buy – all rely on transport and our lives are unthinkable without it. But transport also represents a growing threat to our planet. Buses, cars, planes, ships, and trucks burn fossil fuels, and this causes climate change.

Toward Cleaner Transport and Clearer Skies 

Traffic and pollution in Cairo, Egypt. Photo: Kim Eun Yeul/World Bank

Transport accounts for 20% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Over the last three decades, transport emissions grew at an annual average rate of 1.7% — faster than any other sector except industry. These emissions must fall by more than 3% a year to 2030 to get on track with net zero goals, according to the International Energy Agency.  

What the world needs now are affordable solutions that can rapidly cut transport’s dependence on fossil fuels, improve people’s lives, and can be expanded quickly to more places. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems meet these goals.  

BRTs also address a growing problem in our cities. Cities are expanding fast – especially in developing countries – and so is the number of cars. Faced with epic traffic jams and polluted air, many cities are trying to move people more efficiently, safely, and affordably, and with a much smaller carbon footprint. 

Without alternatives to carbon-intensive transport in the world’s fastest-growing cities, emissions are set to rise. By 2050, the demand for passenger transport could grow by 75% from 2019 levels, with disastrous impacts on the planet unless emissions are cut drastically.

A Flourish table

Learn more in the Atlas of Sustainable Development Goals 2023

BRTs’ bus-only lanes take cars off the road and move people quickly, providing the benefits of metro systems at a fraction of the cost.  They can also rapidly cut the dependence of public transport systems on fossil fuels. The revolution in battery technology has made battery powered electric buses increasingly viable around the world.  

One such example is in Cairo in Egypt. The government, with the World Bank’s support, is preparing to introduce some 100 electric buses, laying the groundwork for a much larger fleet of e-buses in the future. Shifting traffic from cars to buses already helps cut down on vehicle-related air pollution; electrifying this shift takes the benefits even further.   

Another example is in Senegal. The capital city of Dakar is introducing a new fully electric BRT line – the first in West Africa. Dakar’s BRT reduces the number of cars on the road and shifts commuters to electric rather than fossil fuel-powered vehicles – reducing both local and global emissions. Over its lifetime, the BRT project will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by an estimated 1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide– equivalent to taking more than a quarter of a million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles off the road for one year.  

Backed by the World Bank, European Investment Bank, public and private sources, the BRT project is also part of Senegal’s climate pledge under the Paris Agreement to mitigate global warming and adapt to climate change. 

Senegal’s BRT. Photo: CETUD – Conseil Exécutif des Transports Urbains Durables

What is Bus Rapid Transit? 

Bus Rapid Transit is a high-capacity, high-quality public transport system that is designed to provide fast and reliable journey times. BRTs often boast performance standards that are close to other mass transit technologies such as metro or light rail, but they are typically much cheaper to implement. While BRTs come in many different forms, most systems include at least some of the following features: 

• Exclusive bus lanes 
• Frequent and fast service 
• Fixed routes and stops 
• A modern vehicle fleet 
• Dedicated stations 

The Promise of Green Transport 

E-bus in China. Photo: IFC

The BRT will also cut life-threatening air pollutants in Dakar. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), they are seven times the recommended amount. Poor air quality puts certain groups, including children and people with long exposure, at severe risk of health problems. For instance, one study demonstrated that bus drivers in Dakar are  suffering from chronic coughs, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other respiratory conditions directly linked to their exposure to air pollutants from road traffic.   

Electric vehicle technology has potential beyond BRTs. To encourage the use of small, affordable electric vehicles, the World Bank’s private sector arm, IFC, supported the Brazil-based electric bike-sharing company Tembici and India-based Mahindra Last Mile Mobility, which manufactures electric three-wheel vehicles. Tembici has expanded its electric bike-sharing fleet in South America and estimates that more than 3 million people globally have taken over 55 million rides on its bikes and avoided an estimated 14,000 tons of CO2 emissions.  

_{E-bikes from Brazil-based bike-sharing company Tembici. Photo: Lucio Bernardo Jr/Agência Brasília}

_{Cyclists in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo: Embaixada dos EUA – Brasil.}

_{School girls board Devkanya Pandey’s Mahindra electric auto in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Photo: JDot Productions/Abhishek N.Chinnappa}

_{Anuradha Verma talks on her mobile phone as she waits at a traffic intersection riding a 3-wheeler. Photo: JDot Productions/Abhishek N.Chinnappa}

_{Anuradha Verma drives past a Sikh place of worship in her Mahindra electric auto. Photo: JDot Productions/Abhishek N.Chinnappa}

“All countries should be making a plan for incorporating electric vehicles – especially buses and two- and three-wheeled vehicles – into their overall transportation systems,” says World Bank Transport Director Nicolas Peltier-Thiberge.  

“Our vision is to create transport systems that are not only green but that also reinforce development objectives and make it easier for all citizens to go about their daily lives. Electric vehicles are certainly a part of this story, but a comprehensive approach is needed for them to truly be effective.” 

The World Bank’s investments in transport have been shifting towards greener modes for several years. In fact, all new projects since 2021 contribute to reducing countries’ GHG emissions and/or enhancing climate resilience.  Key investments include mass urban transit and projects to shift cargo from high-carbon modes such as diesel or gasoline-powered trucks to railways and inland waterways, which produce much lower emissions per kilometer of transport.

“All countries should be making a plan for incorporating electric vehicles – especially buses and two- and three-wheeled vehicles – into their overall transportation systems.”World Bank Transport Director Nicolas Peltier-Thiberge

The Wisdom of Investing in Public Transport

TransMilenio buses at the Simon Bolivar station in Bogotá, Colombia. Photo: Dominic Chavez/World Bank

The World Bank is the largest provider of financing for transport globally and has provided $5.7 billion for 28 urban transport projects in 18 countries over the past decade, frequently partnering with other financiers. Some of these projects support major public works, such as metro lines. Other projects make it easier and safer for people to walk or ride bikes.  

These Bank-supported projects have reduced GHG emissions by some 20 million tons over their lifetime – the same as stopping for one year the emissions from a large city of more than 2.5 million homes. 

By creating bus-only lanes, and better services, BRT systems provide access to jobs and faster commuting times.

Dar es Salaam’s BRT opened in 2016 with 29 buses and 5 terminals — and with immediate impact. A trip that formerly took 3 hours can now be done in 45 minutes, according to Edwin Mbede, Chief Executive of the Dar Rapid Transit Agency. Phase 2 of the BRT will follow soon, and phases 3, 4 and 5 are being planned. 

“Before the BRT we faced many challenges because the normal public buses took many hours on the road in traffic,” said commuter Beata Mrema. “You faced delays to reach your destination, and when coming home. Now with the BRT, transport has become easy. When you are going somewhere, you will get there in good time.” 

The government made a “very wise decision to invest heavily in public transport,” said World Bank Country Director for Tanzania Nathan Belele. “This investment is going to lead to approximately 900,000 people coming into work every day by public transport.”

“Now with the BRT, transport has become easy. When you are going somewhere, you will get there in good time.”Beata Mrema, Dar es Salaam’s BRT commuter

Dar es Salaam’s bus rapid transit system (BRT). Photo: Hendri Lombard/World Bank

Commuting across Tanzania’s capital city of Dar es Salaam could take several hours, due to chronic traffic congestion and limited mass transit options. To keep the city moving, the World Bank supported the creation of the Dar es Salaam Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT), which provides high-quality public transport using dedicated bus lanes, accessible stations, and a modern vehicle fleet. A few years after the first phase opened, the benefits of the BRT are evident, from shorter and more affordable journeys to better job access and lower emissions.

Similar results are expected with the BRT in Senegal. The 18-kilometer us corridor between downtown Dakar and the suburb of Guediawaye is the first step of a plan to restructure public transport in the city – which already moves 80% of daily commuters. 

“To travel from Guediawaye to Dakar can take 20 minutes to 2 hours,” said city resident, Abdu, as the line was being built. “The construction of the Bus Rapid Transit will make it easier to move around and connect to the city.”  

Transit-oriented development that concentrates homes, communities, and activities within a 5-10-minute walking distance from mass rapid transit gives people better access to jobs, education, health care and other services.   

“Developing country cities that have not yet fully developed their land use and transportation infrastructure around cars can leapfrog car-centered culture and prioritize efficient, low-carbon urban transport that focuses on people rather than vehicles,” said Bianca Alves, World Bank Transport Practice Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean. 

“Developing country cities that have not yet fully developed their land use and transportation infrastructure around cars can leapfrog car-centered culture and prioritize efficient, low-carbon urban transport that focuses on people rather than vehicles.”  Bianca Alves, World Bank Transport Practice Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean

_{Senegal’s BRT. Photo: CETUD – Conseil Exécutif des Transports Urbains Durables}

_{E-bus from Senegal’s BRT. Photo: CETUD – Conseil Exécutif des Transports Urbains Durables}

_{Senegal’s BRT connects downtown Dakar and the suburb of Guediawaye. Photo: CETUD – Conseil Exécutif des Transports Urbains Durables}

World Bank projects have delivered on the promise of sustainability by improving transportation access for 12 million people and bringing 1.6 million additional jobs within an hour or less commute. 

Take, for example, line 5 of the São Paulo metro in Brazil. In 2010 the World Bank approved $650 million in lending to support the extension of the line and construction of 11 new stations.

Overall, the effort required around $2.5 billion, derived from a variety of partners. 

Although a big lift, the results are compelling.

Of the more than 500,000 people using this line every day, 56% are women and 58% are from low-income households. The extension reduces travel time on public transport by at least 50 minutes, providing an excellent alternative to cars.

BRTs: Cheaper to Build Than Metros

Dar es Salaam’s bus rapid transit system (BRT). Photo: Hendri Lombard / World Bank

BRT systems boast capacity and performance levels that are close to other advanced public transport technologies such as metro or light rail. The difference? Building a BRT is much cheaper and faster, making it an attractive option for cities that are looking to develop high-quality mass transit with limited time or resources. For example, the BRT in Lima, Peru cost $10 million for each kilometer, far below the $182 million per kilometer of an underground metro rail line in the same city.  

In addition to this cost advantage, BRTs can deploy a standardized approach that can be quickly expanded and copied so that they can grow from their original footprint or be replicated in other cities. Said Dakar resident Maymouna: “Hopefully, the new bus project will reduce traffic jams and prompt other countries towards similar projects, so they too can have infrastructure like Senegal’s.” 

 BRT corridors are already up and running in Lagos and in the South African cities of Cape Town, George, Johannesburg, and Pretoria. In developing countries and their growing cities, there is a window of opportunity to shift now to low-carbon options that make getting around more convenient. Among other initiatives, the World Bank is supporting BRT systems in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; Douala, Cameroon; Kampala, Uganda; Kumasi, Ghana; Maputo, Mozambique; and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.  

 “We know that projects like this can work, are replicable and help redefine the standard for what’s acceptable in transport,” said BInyam Reja, Transport Practice Manager at the World Bank.  “The challenge now is to ensure that there is enough funding to make changes like these universal in developing countries.” 

A standardized approach of replicating BRTs would create a predictable investment environment and allow multiple securities to be grouped together – a big advantage for potential investors.

“We know that projects like this can work, are replicable and help redefine the standard for what’s acceptable in transport. The challenge now is to ensure that there is enough funding to make changes like these universal in developing countries.” BInyam Reja, World Bank Transport Practice Manager

Transport for People and the Planet

Cyclists in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Photo: Juan Ignacio Coda/World Bank

Not all investments in green transport need to be at such a scale. Investments in people-centered traffic management and safety – such as well-lit streets, safe crossings, bicycle lanes and connected sidewalks – should not be overlooked. These projects can often be executed quickly and respond to unique local needs. 

In five Brazilian states, 3.1 million people will feel much safer walking around at night thanks to the replacement of outdated, inefficient streetlights. The new streetlights use low-emitting LED technology delivering energy savings of 40-70%. Energy savings can reach up to 80% when combined with “smart” management and control systems. Just $4 million from the World Bank triggered an additional $63 million in private investments and public-private partnership contracts to make this possible. 

The reality is that many developing country cities will require a comprehensive approach that combines transport solutions with smart urban planning to ensure that people can efficiently and safely access jobs, education, and critical services. 

“Our vision is to see more people biking, walking, and using public transport – but not as a last resort or for lack of a private car; but because it is truly the safer, more efficient, and more accessible option,” said Georges Bianco Darido, World Bank Lead Urban Transport Specialist. 

“Our vision is to see more people biking, walking, and using public transport – but not as a last resort or for lack of a private car; but because it is truly the safer, more efficient, and more accessible option.”Georges Bianco Darido, World Bank Lead Urban Transport Specialist

LED street lighting in Brasília, Brazil. Photo: Gabriel Jabur/Agência Brasília

Sustainable Transport Can Be a Game-Changer

All urban transport investments, whether large or small, are crucial to make urban living healthier, safer, more inclusive – and much less carbon intensive. At a time when the planet needs a paradigm shift, sustainable transport can be a game-changer.   

Footage of Dakar BRT courtesy of Conseil Exécutif des Transports Urbains Durables (CETUD)