Public Transport and Transport Infrastructure in Lusaka: Navigating the City by Bus, Taxi, and Bike

Lusaka, Zambia’s sprawling capital, is a city in motion. As one of Southern Africa’s fastest-growing urban centres, it embodies both the energy and the complexity of a developing metropolis. Each day, millions navigate a patchwork of minibuses, taxis, bicycles, and crowded sidewalks to access work, school, markets, and essential services.

Yet beneath this bustle lies a transport system under strain—fragmented, unreliable, and increasingly unsafe. This article explores the dynamics of Lusaka’s urban mobility landscape, unpacking its challenges and the emerging efforts to create a safer, more efficient, and inclusive transport future.

The Heartbeat: Lusaka’s Minibus System

Minibuses and their conductors

Minibuses are the lifeblood of public transport in Lusaka. These 12–15-seater vans serve nearly every corner of the city, operating through a loosely defined radial network anchored around the city centre, commonly called “Town.” While these minibuses offer unmatched reach and affordability for many, they also highlight the system’s core problems: unpredictable wait times, overcrowding, and poor safety.

Vehicles are rarely well maintained, often lack basic comfort, and operate under a “fill-and-go” model—departing only when full. With no fixed schedules, commuters are left at the mercy of chance. Adding to the burden, passengers pay a full fare for every leg of a journey, making transfers costly and reinforcing inefficient route structures.

Taxis and Ride-Hailing: Convenience Meets Regulation Gaps

Yango for your transportation and delivery needs | Credit: wearetech.africa

Traditional taxis are still present, though often expensive and inconsistently regulated. In recent years, app-based ride-hailing services like Yango have emerged as popular alternatives, offering lower fares, GPS tracking, and in-app safety features.

These platforms have reshaped urban transport for middle-income residents, but their rapid rise has stirred friction with traditional taxi operators and raised regulatory concerns. Their success underscores the demand for safe, reliable alternatives—but their long-term role in an inclusive transport strategy remains uncertain.

Walking and Cycling: Vital but Vulnerable

Walking accounts for a significant share of daily trips in Lusaka, particularly for lower-income residents. Yet pedestrian infrastructure is sorely lacking. Sidewalks, where they exist, are often broken or blocked. Street lighting is patchy, and safe crossings are rare.

Cycling, meanwhile, holds promise as a sustainable option—but is hindered by safety risks, poor road design, and a lack of bike lanes.

Credit: @herman_kambala

Infrastructure Under Pressure

Roads in Lusaka are a mix of deteriorated tarmac and dusty, impassable tracks—especially in informal settlements. Congestion is chronic, exacerbated by uncoordinated minibus stops, increasing private vehicle ownership, and a lack of road discipline.

Major infrastructure projects like the L400 upgrade and the Lusaka Decongestion Project aim to alleviate this pressure. However, critics warn that focusing on roads alone—without improving public transport or pedestrian access—may merely reinforce car dependency and inequality.

The Commuter Experience: A Daily Struggle

Lusaka’s residents face multiple mobility burdens:

• Affordability: Transport can consume up to 40% of monthly income for low-income families.

• Safety: Poorly maintained vehicles, aggressive driving, and unsafe pedestrian conditions contribute to high accident rates.

• Reliability: Long waits and unpredictable travel times disrupt work, school, and business.

• Comfort: Overcrowded minibuses, long walks, and poor terminal conditions erode quality of life.

• Accessibility: Persons with disabilities, the elderly, and women with caregiving duties are often excluded or underserved.

Planning for Change: Policy and Reform in Motion

Despite these challenges, momentum for reform is growing. The Zambian government has introduced several policy frameworks to reshape urban mobility:

• The National Non-Motorised Transport Strategy aims to improve walking and cycling conditions.

• The Greater Lusaka Masterplan, developed with international partners, seeks to integrate transport planning with land use, promote densification, and guide infrastructure investment.

• The Lusaka Decongestion Project is redesigning key corridors and terminals, while experimenting with dedicated bus lanes.

In parallel, proposals for reforming the minibus sector include fare integration, vehicle upgrades, and shifting from unregulated street competition to structured, route-based contracts.

Conclusion: A City at a Crossroads

Lusaka’s transport system is at a tipping point. Years of reactive growth and underinvestment have created a mobility environment that is functional but deeply flawed. For Zambia’s capital to thrive, it must prioritise transport systems that are safe, inclusive, and responsive to its citizens’ daily realities.

This means expanding access to reliable public transport, investing in walking and cycling infrastructure, and aligning land use planning with mobility goals. It requires listening to commuters—especially women, children, the poor, and the disabled—and designing solutions that reflect their needs.

With political will, smart investment, and a focus on sustainability, Lusaka can move beyond the congestion and chaos—towards a future of equitable, efficient urban mobility for all.