Official: Ethiopia bans import of conventional vehicles

Ethiopia has banned the import of conventional vehicles, Walelegn Desalegn, Technical Advisor on the Development of Addis Ababa Rivers and Riverside Areas, said during an event at the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Report informs.

According to Desalegn, the transition to eco-friendly transport is officially supported in Addis Ababa: "As we grew rapidly, we carefully planned how to address climate change challenges. Previously, we relied on fossil-fuel vehicles and conventional transport. Today, the country has banned the use and import of traditional vehicles, and we only import electric cars. As a result, most cars moving in Addis Ababa are electric. We are expanding access to public transport, adding hundreds of buses each year to reduce the city's emissions."

He added that large-scale infrastructure projects are being implemented to protect the city from natural disasters: "The river restoration project is not only for recreation or expanding public spaces. It protects the city from catastrophic floods and landslides during the rainy season. Hundreds of thousands of people lived along vulnerable riverbanks, exposed to floods and landslides. We are relocating them to safe areas. Everything we do is part of short- and long-term plans to ensure the city's resilience."