Tunisian government agencies are grappling with increased traffic congestion in the capital Tunis, with worries mounting that the situation could get worse as more people continue to acquire cars.
According to the technical agency for Terrestrial Transport, there are over 2 million cars in Tunisia including at least 1 million vehicles circulating in the capital city Tunis.
Residents of the capital are forced to endure long periods on the roads, making it difficult to reach destinations in time.
The situation is now also affecting pedestrians.
“Walking is unsafe because cars are everywhere. Pedestrians face enormous difficulties. The street belongs to car drivers,” Karim, a Tunis resident lamented.
The increased number of vehicles also means the environment is polluted more.
The North African country’s Environment Commission has discussed ways of financing public transport while limiting the quotas for vehicles import. Parliamentary groups are still divided on the project.
Some MPs maintain that building new infrastructure like highways and bridges will not resolve the traffic jams in the capital while others believe the solution lies in developing public transport systems — expanding bus lanes and extending Metro’s to connect the Central Business District with the suburbs.
Many road safety associations have called on the government to implement Road Space Rationing. This regulation aims to reduce traffic in the capital city Tunis. However, the parliament described the project as unconstitutional.
Before a solution is found however, millions of Tunisians will continue to be frustrated by the constant presence of traffic snarl-ups each day.
