Minister Atanga Nji Orders Centre Governor To Ban Circulation Of Transport Vehicles On Yaounde – Boumnyebel Stretch Of The Yaounde – Douala Express Road

The Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, has instructed the Governor of the Centre Region, Nasseri Paul Bea, to sign an order banning all heavy duty vehicles as well as all other vehicles transporting passengers and goods, including public transport buses belonging to transport agencies, from plying the Nklobission – Boumnyebel stretch of the Yaounde – Douala Expressway (Freeway) commonly known by the French appellation, ‘autoroute’.  It should be noted that Nkolbisson is a quarter in the suburbs of the nation’s capital, Yaounde.

The minister’s order is contained in a correspondence dated August 21, 2024, which he addressed to the Governor of the Centre Region. The objective of the correspondence is: ‘Degradation de autoroute Yaopunde – Douala par certain usagers”, that is: “Degradation of the Yaounde – Douala express road by certain road users”.

In the correspondence, the Territorial Administration Minister said the Minister of Public Works has drawn his attention to the fact that heavy duty trucks transporting timber and other goods, smaller trucks transporting sand, big public transport busses operated by transports agencies, as well as other transport vehicles, have been using the Nkolbisson (Yaounde) – Boumnyebel (Nyong and Kelle Division) stretch of the Yaounde – Douala express road, and that the road is being damaged. .The minister said the stretch of newly constructed road is already getting damage, whereas it has not yet even been officially handed over.

Vehicles Of Defaulters To Be Impounded

The MINAT Boss thus instructed the Governor to take appropriate measures to protect the national patrimony by prohibiting the use of the Nkolbisson – Yaounde stretch of the Yaounde – Douala express road by all trucks and public transport vehicles. Minister Atanga Nji minced no words in further instructing the Governor that vehicle of any person that violates the order should be impounded, and the person charged to pay a fine for damaging the express road.

Meanwhile talking about the so – called Yaounde – Douala express road (‘autoroute’), it is a road project that the Cameroon Government launched over 10 years ago. It was initially expected that the Yaounde – Douala express road would be completed before the Cameroon host the African Cup of Nations that was initially scheduled for 2019.

The road project has become one of the biggest failures and scandals of the Biya regime.   The road is over 300 kms, but up till today, not up to half or even close to half of the road has been constructed. The Nkolbisson (Yaounde) – Boumbyebel stretch of the road is barely 60 kms. That stretched was opened to the public with a lot of drum –beatings by some members of Government, who wanted to give the false impression that the road was advancing.  Now the stretch of the road has started dilapidating when it has not yet been officially handed over. The project was not designed to be handed over in stretches.