The president of the Maison des transporters de Côte d’Ivoire (MTCI), Mamadou Soumahoro, spent 10 days in Europe, particularly in France and Germany, as part of a meeting with automotive partners for the acquisition of several new vehicles over the next five years. At the end of his stay, the president of the Maison des transporters de Côte d’Ivoire (MTCI), Mamadou Soumahoro, returned to the Ivorian capital Abidjan on Friday July 22.
After a stay of ten days in Germany and France, the president of the House of Transporters of Côte d’Ivoire (MTCI), Mamadou Soumahoro announced that he had signed an agreement, the result of which will have a positive impact on the transport sector in general and particularly the life of the members of the MTCI.
“We went to Hamburg to meet the managers of a multinational import/export company which is a partner of Dong Feng Construction. After discussions with these structures, we signed a first agreement for 3,500 vehicles to be made available to Ivorian carriers over a period of 5 years to renew their vehicle fleets,” he said.
Before adding that a first wave of 120 vehicles including 100 taxis and dumpsters, buses and some pick-ups will land in Abidjan, in 5 months.
Note that President Soumahoro took the opportunity to reassure the members of his organization on the conditions of access to these vehicles.
“The cost of the vehicle will be spread over a schedule of 3 to 4 years to allow the purchaser to amortize it easily.”, he reassured.
In addition, the founding president of MTCI also took the opportunity to urge certain carriers who have not yet complied with the government’s resolution, to constitute themselves as a company identified and recognized by the Ministry of Transport because this is the condition to buy new vehicles.
In conclusion, the MTCI initiative aims to support the State in the process of renewing the country’s vehicle fleet. “Despite its goodwill, the State cannot do everything. In 2020, it donated 832 vehicles, at a cost of 25 billion FCFA, to transporters. When we know that the city of Abidjan has, at alone, 28,000 taxis, this represents less than 5% of this fleet. Nor is the transport sector the only one that requires the attention of the government. Education, health and infrastructure are just as much priorities. If we leave the entire task of renewing the vehicle fleet to the State of Côte d’Ivoire, it will not be able to cope. Carriers must also take their destiny into their own hands to support the government “, he explained.
Recall that the MTCI’s mission is to defend the interests of carriers incorporated in Côte d’Ivoire. The challenges that the organization wants to take up are multiple. Among other things, creating health insurance to support local actors, helping to find funding for the renewal of the Ivorian car fleet, ensuring cohesion with national and sub-regional authorities, forging partnerships for the acquisition of social housing, build international stations in each city of Côte d’Ivoire, create the conditions for a peaceful retirement for the main actors and initiate training.
