- EBRD loan of €45 million to Société des Transports de Tunis (Transtu)
- New trains to increase frequency of service
- Carbon emissions to be reduced by an average of 8,000 tonnes of CO2 per year
Inhabitants of Tunis will enjoy improved transport services, thanks to a €45 million EBRD loan to Société des Transports de Tunis (Transtu), the public company that manages urban transport in the greater Tunis area.
The funds will be used for the acquisition of 18 new light rail suburban trains servicing a historic rail line linking the centre of the Tunisian capital with the northern suburb of La Marsa. The new cars will replace the city’s 40-year-old rolling stock. This will enhance the capacity, reliability and safety of the line and increase the quality and frequency of the service.
The improvement of train services is expected to reduce car and minibus traffic and will contribute to lowering carbon emissions by an average of 8,037 tonnes of CO2 per year.
The EBRD’s engagement will support the implementation of a Financial and Operational Performance Improvement programme to assist Transtu in its restructuring efforts and in adopting and implementing measures to improve its operational efficiency and financial performance. The project also involves implementing a plan aimed at improving the company’s corporate governance and internal control practices.
The EBRD will also work with Transtu to enhance women’s access to urban transport services, focusing on women’s safety and security as well as promoting gender equality across the company’s workforce.
Since the start of its operations in Tunisia in 2012, the EBRD has invested €874 million across 42 projects and provided technical assistance to nearly 1,000 small and medium-sized enterprises in the country, two-thirds of which are in the regions.
