Tunisia Receives French Buses to Address Transportation Crisis

Tunisia has received a second batch of used French buses in a bid to confront the escalating transportation crisis.

The Ministry of Transport announced the arrival of 47 buses, including nine double-deckers, at the port of Halq al-Wadi in the capital.

This shipment is part of a larger deal for the acquisition of 300 buses signed by the Tunisian transport company with the Autonomous Paris Transport Authority, costing approximately $5.1 million.

The first batch, consisting of 122 buses, of which 39 were double-deckers, was delivered to Tunisia last April.

Tunisia has previously signed similar acquisition deals for buses with the same supplier in 2015, 2016, and 2017. The ministry stated that these buses meet ecological specifications.

A spokesperson for the ministry stated on Monday that the buses would be put into service before the month of Ramadan, following the completion of technical inspections and administrative procedures.

The financial crisis affecting the Tunisian Transport Company and the state's public finances has led to delays in acquisitions for several years, resulting in the aging and deterioration of a significant portion of the bus fleet in the capital and major cities.