Vehicle growth rates in most West- African countries are lower than the population growth rates and significantly less than the urban population growth rates. Because of the low level of motorization, public transport plays an important role in the daily life of the population. The majority of public transport services are provided by the private sector.Public bus companies operate in several of the major cities. Details are given of the urban road networks and of the urban road maintenance. Very few cities have experimented with traffic management, hence congestion is a major problem. Urban transport plays a major role in the economies of the West Africa countries, but it also represents a major cost.
Abstract