For detailed information about road disruptions in Africa please follow the reports of Bolloré and Logistic Cluster, which give a detailed situation country by country all over the world: Bolloré Logistics report, World Food Programme and Logistics Cluster reports.
For a selected summary download the file here.
The following reports are from the World Food Programme:
Cameroon
All land and maritime borders have been closed. Restrictions do not apply for cargo and to Cameroon nationals wishing to go back home. Internal restrictions: All social venues are closed. As of 30 April, restaurants and bars are allowed to remain open after 18:00 (local time). Social distancing measures and the wearing of face masks are mandatory for customers. A systematic sanctioning of those people found to have breached restriction and confinement measures is imposed. Checkpoints to be set up in urban and rural areas. The wearing of face masks is mandatory in taxis and public transport. Public transport restrictions have been lifted, however wearing of masks remains compulsory and surcharges remain banned.
Côte d’Ivoire
All land, sea and air borders remain closed until at least 31 May and international flights are banned, except for freight. A state of emergency is in force until at least 31 May. The Greater Abidjan metropolitan area is isolated from the rest of the country at least until 31 May. Greater Abidjan includes the Abidjan Autonomous District and the surrounding towns of Assinie, Azaguie, Bonoua, Dabou and Grand-Bassam. Unauthorised internal travel between Greater Abidjan and the interior of the country is banned. For essential travel only, the request for a laissez-passer permit must be done online 24 hours prior to setting out accompanied by a negative Covid-19 test. The permit remains valid for 72 hours and outside of curfew times. Vulnerable individuals (elderly people and people with chronic diseases) are to remain home until further notice. The nationwide curfew has been lifted. However, a curfew will be reinstated on areas where the authorities deem it necessary, due to a surge of Covid-19 cases. The curfew in the Greater Abidjan was lifted on 15 May. Wearing of masks in public remains mandatory. Bars, night clubs and movie theatres remain closed at least until 31 May, while restaurants and maquis are allowed to reopen. Schools will be allowed to reopen on 25 May. Gatherings are limited to 200 people
Ghana
Internal restrictions limiting movement in the Greater Accra region (including the capital Accra) and Greater Kumasi (Ashanti region) have been lifted. However, public gatherings are still banned until 31 May. Facemasks are compulsory in most outdoor public places. Suspension of all public gatherings, both private and business (including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, sporting events, religious activities). Public transport operators are required to limit the number of passengers and enforce social distancing and hygiene protocols on board. All schools are to remain closed until further notice. Beaches are closed and will be patrolled by police to enforce restrictions.
Guinea
Guinea’s borders are closed. This does not apply to nationals of Guinea with an approval from the government and a medical certificate stating that the passenger is not affected by Covid-19. The country’s land and maritime borders are closed, and all international flights are suspended until further notice. Internal restrictions: An ongoing state of emergency has been extended until 15 June; movements are restricted to essential ones, while citizens are asked to stay at home. Circulation and trade of goods are only restricted from 07:00 to 11:00. A night-time curfew from 22:00 until 05:00 is in place in Conakry, Coyah and Dubreka until further notice. Exit from the capital Conakry has been prohibited. Entry to the city is not affected. The wearing of facemasks in public is mandatory across the country. Non-essential facilities, such as places of worship and schools, have been closed, while gatherings of more than 30 people have been banned.
Kenya
Kenya’s borders with Somalia and Tanzania are closed to passenger traffic and those ferrying automobiles across the borders until at least 15 June. While cargo vehicles are exempt from the measure, truck drivers are required to undergo mandatory health screening for Covid-19. Those coming into the country must undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine at a government-designated facility at their own expense. The nationwide curfew from 19:00 to 05:00 has been extended by the authorities until at least 6 June; essential sectors remain exempt from the measure. No movement in or out of the capital Nairobi, as well as Kilifi, Kwale, Mandera and Mombasa counties, is permitted during this time. Police controls have been put in place to ensure compliance with the movement restrictions. No entry and exit movement is permitted into and out of the Eastleigh area in Nairobi and Mombasa’s Old Town (closure of markets and restaurants in both areas). A ban on movement in or out of Kilifi, Kwale, Mandera Mombasa and the capital Nairobi is in place until at least 6 June. Nakuru CBD has been put on lockdown. The governor of Murang’a has banned incoming travellers from other counties. Residents exiting or travelling within Murang’a will be questioned on the necessity of their journeys to reduce non-essential movement. Markets have been closed indefinitely in Gakoe, Gatukuyu, Jamhuri, Kamwangi, Kiambu and Madarak counties. In Homa Bay, roadblocks are in place on all primary routes into the county, and health officials are conducting screenings on those entering. Similar checkpoints are in place in Naivasha (Nakuru), though primarily targeting Public Service Vehicles (PSVs). Wearing a face mask in public is mandatory.
Nigeria
Movement around different regions is not allowed, so movement of goods could face restrictions. Every region has its own rules on curfew and total lockdown. Markets are open with restrictions on certain days a week, different days for every region. Transport of essential goods will remain possible. Use of masks obligatory in most places.
Europe
Traffic remains much more fluid inside the EU countries in order to transport cargo; however, border controls are effective in many countries and long queues are reported, especially between central European countries. Waiting times can be up to 2–3 hours to cross a border. This can be a big problem when transporting perishables that have to cross more than two countries. The same delays are present from the beginning of the outbreak; however, on the borders around Germany the traffic is flowing much better than in previous weeks. There are still delays on borders from Hungary to Romania, Romania to Bulgaria, Slovenia to Croatia, and Austria to Italy.
Research by Transport Intelligence shows that Covid-19 will wipe away any potential for growth in the European road freight market during 2020 (FPC Fresh Talk Daily, 1 June). The impacts are set to be a catalyst for structural change and the quickening pace of technology-driven transformation in the market.
Ti’s research shows the impact on market growth in 2020 could be devastating in a worst-case scenario, with failure to suppress a second wave of the pandemic and reopen economies across the region risking a 17% contraction in the European road freight market.
The new research, available in “European Road Freight Transport 2020”, shows Covid-19 has come at a time when the European road freight market was already facing challenges. Ti’s new market sizing for 2019 shows the market grew at just 1.1% in real terms, the slowest rate of expansion since 2013. Ti projections show that the combined road freight markets of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK could contract by 5.6% in 2020, even if restrictions on economic activities are lifted and the virus is suppressed, a best-case scenario.
Ti’s new research also includes analysis of the evolving value propositions offered by the start-ups and disruptors that have entered the European road freight market in recent years. By taking advantage of the opportunities digitalisation provides, a generation of digital road freight start-ups are unbundling traditional road freight operations and capturing key aspects of the value chain.
Sixfold provides an excellent tool to check live information on queues at EU borders.