Middle-Eastern giants Qatar Airways and Emirates have both started operations in Tunisia, and the opening of several new routes connecting Tunis with Europe and West Africa is scheduled in 2007. Karthago and Nouvelair, the two national private companies, are in talks to prepare an alliance which might take the form of a full-fledged merger. Both companies are anticipating local and foreign competition to heat up, as the authorities are pushing the open-skies policy forward.
The construction of the Enfidha airport will change the landscape even more.The call for tender procedure is due to end soon, with many foreign companies competing for the contract. The government has entered a Build-Operate-Transfer deal, with foreign partners footing the bill on construction and maintenance expense in exchange for commercial exploitation of the site for an agreed period. This new airport, which should be completed in 2009, will initially handle 5-7 million passengers per year, with a potential for much more. The necessity for a new airport in the region is clear. The Monastir airport carried over 4 million passengers in 2006, while the Tunis airport, although it has not yet reached its peak capacity, should see much more activity in the coming years. Tunis-Carthage is ideally located to become a regional hub connecting Europe, Africa and the Middle East. In the future, Tunis-Carthage will handle regular traffic routes, while the Enfidha airport will mostly be used for charter flights.
Land challenges
Meanwhile, land transportation is facing serious challenges. At a recent parliamentary debate, a member of parliament characterized inter-urban passenger transport as “chaotic”, despite the ongoing overhaul of the road infrastructure, and called for an upgrading program in the sector. The recent liberalization of several inter-urban bus routes should add more flexibility to the current system. However, “louages,” fast intercity minibuses emblematic of Tunisian road travel, should continue to represent a large share of the business.
The railroad network, which has long suffered from neglect and remains relatively undeveloped, is also slated for an overhaul. Indeed, the 11th development plan labels railroad transport as a “strategic option” and spending on railroad infrastructure is set to boom in the 2007-11 period. Indeed, $1.3 billion is earmarked for railroad infrastructure, more than twice the amount spent during the previous five-year plan. No new lines are planned, but existing railroads will be upgraded, and some of them doubled, allowing for two-way simultaneous traffic. Work on the Tunis-Ghardimaou and Tunis-Kalâa Khasba lines is already under way. Additionally, a series of feasibility studies will be launched to determine whether closed-down lines should be reopened, or new ones built. The acquisition of more carriages is also planned.
Public urban transportation capacities are also being reinforced. The 11th development plan provides for the extension of the network covering the greater Tunis area. Feasibility studies are also underway for the Sfax and Sousse areas, and the construction of the first urban rail networks outside Tunis could start soon. The greater Tunis area is clearly prioritized as the ever-increasing number of cars, a growing population and an increasingly stretched-out city have combined to create an intractable traffic problem. Work to extend the city’s existing tramway system to the Mourouj and Manouba suburban areas has begun, and other lines are slated for extension or rehabilitation. Private operators will be running 22 bus lines and the city is in the process of renewing and modernizing its bus fleet.
The Rapid Rail Network
Work has yet to begin on the plan’s crown jewel, the Rapid Rail Network (RFR) which, when completed in 2021, will boast an impressive 85 km of railroad and as many as 55 trains. At a projected cost of $2.29 billion, out of which $700 million has already been earmarked for the 2007-2011 period, the RFR project is one of the country’s most expensive projects. While part of the project will be directly financed by the state, authorities hope to cover most of the expense by issuing state-guaranteed bonds.
Finally, details are emerging on the construction of a deepwater commercial port, also to be located in Enfidha. An estimated 97% of Tunisia’s trade travels by sea, and as a result, Tunisia’s seven existing harbors are facing saturation. In addition, those aging ports, located in urban areas, are impeding easy expansion. For all these reasons, it has become necessary to build a new-generation port able to handle most of the container and bulk cargo traffic. Technical studies are still underway, with the construction slated to begin in 2009 and spread over three phases. When completed in 2023, the Enfidha port will boast a 3,600m container dock, a 1,300m bulk freight dock, and will be 18 meters deep, accommodating much larger ships than current ports allow.
