The Ministry of Transport in Cameroon has taken drastic measures by urgently grounding several public transport buses. This decision follows technical inspections carried out on December 31, 2025, which revealed serious failures likely to endanger the lives of passengers.
The control operation was part of a special road safety campaign launched on December 15, 2025, by the Ministry of Transport. The Minister stressed that travel agencies have a legal obligation to operate only vehicles in perfect working order.
According to the official statement, the identified failures represent a major risk to the safety of travelers. The buses concerned will only be allowed back on the road after a complete overhaul, in accordance with the regulations in force.
Road accidents remain a major problem in Cameroon, causing hundreds of deaths each year. In 2024, 1,781 accidents were recorded, resulting in the deaths of 678 people. While these figures represent an improvement compared to 2011 (3,525 accidents and 1,588 deaths), the government remains vigilant and continues to strengthen its road safety policies.
Measures implemented include the restructuring of control teams and the introduction of a centralized system for managing and monitoring intercity transport based on artificial intelligence. This tool makes it possible to detect in real time risky driver behavior, such as speeding, drowsiness or the use of the telephone while driving. In 2025, it helped identify nearly 300,000 dangerous behaviors.
The Cameroonian government has set itself the objective of reducing the number of road accidents by 50% by 2025 compared to 2020. To achieve this objective, new measures are planned, in particular a reinforced medical examination for drivers, the renewal of the vehicle fleet and the deployment of intelligent monitoring systems.
In the meantime, the grounding of these buses is a reminder of the crucial importance of technical inspection and compliance with safety standards to guarantee the safety of passengers on Cameroonian roads.
