“The annual steering committee meeting is a status check, in effect,” said a UEMOA transport official who was not authorized to speak for the organization. “This year it is also looking ahead.”

Quarterly reports on checkpoints, bribes and delays have fueled advocacy.

“We’ve seen some significant improvement in some countries, notably Ghana and Togo, and no real change in others, notably Mali,” he said. “The addition of Senegal in July 2009 and Cote d’Ivoire in January 2010 has broadened the scope of the initiative and confirmed the importance of stability to good road governance.”

Dr. Justin Koffi, the Executive Secretary of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Organization, which monitors the all-important corridor that affects 35 million West Africans directly and millions more indirectly, said the meeting would allow stakeholders to share various perspectives.

For private sector stakeholders, the initiative has had a notable impact. They credited the Borderless advocacy campaign for significant progress on eliminating trade barriers.

Bribes per 100km. Based on data collected Jan. 1 to March 31, 2011. 455 CFA = 1 USD.

“The initiative has reached a milestone, not only to change the mentality on road governance but, equally, to coordinate the actions stakeholders are undertaking across the sub-region,” said Francis Agbagli of TransAlloman, a trucking company based in Togo. “Without a doubt, the initiative has been beneficial for the transport sector and, beyond that, for the regional economy.”
transports et par ailleurs pour l’économie de la région. »

“The borderless initiative has been embraced by many transport stakeholders, especially drivers and the impact of this program in raising awareness and  combating  issues of bribery and delays on the roads is very visible,” said Frank Eshun, managing director of Damco, a transport and logistics company in Ghana. “Increased knowledge on delays aids my company in proper planning for key clients regarding information on lead times, transit times, etc.

I believe the programme will continue to be a driving force in achieving a further reduction and
improvement in delivery of transport services in the region.”

Cote d’Ivoire now has the dubious distinction of worst performance on the indicators (see graphic). But since the denouement of its political crisis in April, new efforts by the government and civil society are raising awareness – the first step toward tackling the problem.