Addis Ababa is to get new technology that will improve the efficiency of the traffic system so as to alleviate problems related to traffic congestion.

The Addis Ababa City Roads Authority is in the process of finding vendors for traffic lights to be installed at fourteen junctions across the city. The authority announced the tender for interested suppliers 2 months ago at which time ten companies purchased bid documents. Two potential vendors submitted offers to the authority according to an anonymous source.

The authority has budget of 30 million birr to install the traffic light system according to Engineer Elisabeth Tesfaye who is a member of the committee evaluating the proposals. It is to be remembered that the original idea for upgrading the traffic light system was proposed in the aftermath of a visit made to Durban by Kassahun Hailemariam, Federal Transport Authority, Director General, and Fekade Haile General Manager of the AACRA.

A pilot run at the project was tried with a traffic light acquired from South African supplier Traffic Lights Accessories and installed by Nehemiah Engineering plc, eight month ago.

Nehemiah and TSA have jointly put in a bid for the current venture as has a partnership between domestic company Tiga and China Communication Services according to sources.

The authority has been examining the financial proposals presented to it over the last week and will announce a winner in the coming week according to Fekade. The contract that will be offered to the company which will install the traffic lights will include maintenance for the coming two years explained Elisabeth.

Source: Fortune