Sixty-six years have passed since Chad achieved independence, yet the nation still grapples with a fundamental paradox. Despite its immense territory and strategic position at the heart of Central Africa, internal mobility largely depends on an interurban transport network that remains inadequately structured. The Chadian government has now declared the modernization of its transport sector a top priority. The crucial question is: what kind of system must be established to connect major cities like N’Djamena to Moundou, Sarh, Abéché, Mongo, Faya-Largeau, or Bol, ensuring safety, regularity, and comfort befitting a nation striving for accelerated development?

A vast country, a fragile network

Spanning an expansive 1,284,000 km², Chad’s sheer size presents inherent economic challenges. For its citizens, journeys between provinces can consume many hours, often an entire day. Roads continue to be the predominant mode of travel. For many years, Chad’s transport infrastructure has suffered from an insufficient network and the complete absence of a railway system. Previous assessments by international financial institutions highlighted the overwhelming reliance on road transport and the scarcity of regular interurban services.

Today, Chadian authorities are determined to instigate change. In March 2026, the government formally elevated territorial connectivity, infrastructure modernization, and enhanced national and international links to primary objectives within the transport sector.

From informal to organized transport

The true challenge extends beyond merely increasing the number of vehicles. What is required is the establishment of a comprehensive national interurban transport system. This entails implementing licensed companies, developing modern bus terminals, enforcing fixed schedules, introducing standardized ticketing, ensuring rigorous technical inspections, mandating compulsory insurance, providing professional driver training, and integrating advanced safety mechanisms. Currently, travelers often face a fragmented choice among various private operators, where departure times, conditions, and comfort levels can differ significantly.

Why not establish a national network along key corridors?

The creation of an organized national network, centered on major axes, presents a compelling solution. Routes such as N’Djamena–Moundou–Sarh, N’Djamena–Mongo–Abéché, N’Djamena–Massakory–Bol, or N’Djamena–Faya-Largeau could be designated as priority corridors, offering daily departures and regulated fares. The aim here would not necessarily be to create a single state-owned company, but rather to implement a framework where the State sets the regulatory standards, and the private sector delivers the services.

Chad could draw inspiration from the Senegalese model. In Dakar, authorities have embarked on a comprehensive restructuring of the public transport network, incorporating Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a regional express train (TER), and conventional buses. The initial phase of this restructuring initiative encompasses the deployment of 400 new buses, the creation of 14 new lines, the construction of two maintenance depots, and the development of over 30 km of upgraded road infrastructure, all designed with an emphasis on intermodality. Chad could adapt this integrated network philosophy to its own scale, recognizing that a transport company’s efficiency is intrinsically linked to its integration within a broader system. For Chadian interurban transport, this translates to modern terminals at the outskirts of N’Djamena, dedicated stations in principal cities, and seamlessly organized connections.

Similarly, Rwanda offers valuable insights into rigorous organizational structures. Between 2024 and 2025, Kigali successfully reorganized its public transport, expanding from four to seven corridors and increasing the number of operational service providers from three to thirteen. Concurrently, the government procured 200 new buses to bolster the fleet.

The lesson for Chad is clear: while the sheer volume of vehicles is important, consistency, regulated competition, and the overall quality of service are equally, if not more, crucial. For the average traveler, a bus that departs punctually, with a transparent fare structure and a clearly indicated destination, would already represent a significant advancement. Furthermore, interurban transport must not be viewed solely as a passenger service; it is an indispensable engine for commerce.

A farmer in Moundou needs efficient means to transport produce to N’Djamena. Livestock breeders require accessible markets. A student in Abéché must be able to reach their university. A patient needs reliable transport to a hospital facility.

Therefore, investments in road infrastructure must go hand-in-hand with broader transport sector investments. In 2025, international partners approved a significant sum of 170 million dollars to enhance connectivity in the Lake Chad region, specifically funding the paving of 55 km between Liwa and Rig-Rig, 12 km of access roads to Bol, and 50 km of rural roads. These vital infrastructures must now be seamlessly integrated into a cohesive national mobility policy.

And what about rail?

In the longer term, Chad must seriously consider the development of a railway network. Given its vast distances and the substantial volumes of goods requiring transport, the nation cannot perpetually rely solely on trucks and buses for all its mobility needs.

A railway system could progressively link key economic basins to national borders and regional trade corridors. Indeed, the government has included the development of a railway network among the projects under consideration within its transport sector action plan. However, rail infrastructure demands substantial investment. Consequently, the immediate priority remains the modernization of the existing road network and the professionalization of bus transport services.

Chad’s unique transport model should be straightforward: it doesn’t need to simply replicate the systems of Dakar or Kigali, but rather build its own, founded on five core priorities: roads that are usable all year round, professional transport companies, modern terminals, robust road safety measures, and affordable fares.

To these foundational elements, the integration of digital ticketing, real-time vehicle tracking, regular technical inspections, and publicly available schedules must be added. After 66 years of independence, traveling between Chadian cities should no longer be an arduous adventure. Transport represents an invisible, yet fundamental, infrastructure for development. Without effective mobility, there can be no cohesive national market; and without a national market, true economic integration remains elusive. The Chad of 2030 must, therefore, be able to answer a simple question: how can a citizen traverse the country safely, affordably, and within a predictable timeframe?

It is only under these conditions that the road will cease to be merely a means of transit and transform into a genuine instrument of national development.