Quelimane’s Bicycle Transformation: Cutting Emissions While Creating Jobs

Quelimane, often called Africa’s cycling capital, has leveraged its flat terrain, vibrant informal sector, and cultural reliance on bicycles to promote cycling as the city’s primary mode of transport. With support from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ BICI program and research partners, the city is enhancing  bike use, particularly the widespread “bike-taxi” system that provides vital jobs and mobility.

This progress has been driven by the leadership of Mayor Manuel de Araújo, whose political commitment placed cycling at the center of urban policy, reshaping public perception and attracting international support. While emissions data is still evolving, Quelimane’s high cycling rates and low motorization have likely helped the city avoid the surge in transport-related emissions typical of rapidly urbanizing African cities.

Implementation was a bottom-up, data-informed process initiated by the municipality in coordination with research institutions and donor programs:

• Data Collection & Analysis: Using surveys with 1,000+ residents, researchers identified three main cyclist groups: informal workers with children, short-distance students, and occasional cyclists. Attitudinal segmentation revealed "Reluctant", "Livelihood", and "Demanding" cyclist types.
• Infrastructure Improvements: While major cycling infrastructure was limited by funding, the city prioritized traffic calming, improved lighting, and decongestion of key roadways. Bicycle-parking areas and informal maintenance hubs began to emerge around markets and schools. By 2019, the city had constructed approximately 2.3 km of bike lanes to connect low income residential neighborhoods with commercial and central market areas. By 2022, the municipality completed a 3.6 km formal cycle path—its first officially-designed cycling infrastructure—with support from the Portuguese government.
• Policy & Organization: The city legalized and registered bicycle-taxi operators and collaborated with their association to define routes, improve safety standards, and advocate for riders' rights.
• Public Space Management: The city tackled road encroachment from vendors and cars, ensuring shared use with cyclists and pedestrians.
• Climate Impact: Although precise CO₂ emissions savings have not been calculated, Quelimane’s large base of daily cyclists—especially youth using bicycles as a livelihood—has significantly limited the uptake of high-emission transport modes. This organic shift to non-motorized transport has likely contributed to meaningful emissions avoidance, aligning with the city’s climate resilience goals.
• Leadership and Political Commitment: Under the committed leadership of Mayor Manuel de Araújo, the municipality prioritized non-motorized transport in both political discourse and budgeting, despite financial constraints. Mayor de Araújo’s visibility—often cycling himself—and public support for the “bike-taxi" sector helped shift perceptions of cycling from a poverty-driven necessity to a symbol of resilience, innovation, and climate responsibility. His role in aligning local priorities with global agendas, such as BICI and TUMI, further positioned Quelimane as a regional pioneer in low-carbon transport solutions.

Strong collaboration between public and research entities enabled long-term progress. Key partnerships include:

• Municipality of Quelimane – Local leadership, planning, and regulation
• Bloomberg Philanthropies (BICI) – Innovation support & peer learning
• TUMI – Technical assistance and mobility diagnostics
• Universidad Politécnica de Madrid / University of Rwanda – Academic analysis, scientific studies
• Bike-Taxi Operator Associations – Local organizing, service data, peer education
• ISCeD University Mozambique – Local socio-economic research

Awareness campaigns helped legitimize cycling as a respected, climate-resilient option:

• Radio shows and messages aired on Quelimane FM to promote cyclist safety
• "Car-Free Days" and cycling festivals raised public engagement
• Youth and student outreach improved bicycle perception across genders
• Painted bicycle lanes and signage improved visibility for riders

While financing was modest, Quelimane optimized available resources:

• Municipal Budget: Small allocation toward cyclist-friendly upgrades
• BICI (Bloomberg) Funding: Grant and in-kind support for planning and data
• Academic Support: Provided mobility diagnostics and attitudinal mapping
• Community Contributions: Local riders shared knowledge, organized themselves, and maintained services

Beyond mobility access, Quelimane’s approach has yielded wide-reaching social and environmental outcomes:

• Youth Employment: The bike-taxi sector created income-generating jobs for thousands of young people amidst high unemployment
• Improved Health: Cycling offers exercise and low-emission mobility, reducing respiratory issues and healthcare burdens
• Climate Resilience: By emphasizing Non-Motorized Transport (NMT), the city reduces fossil fuel dependence and traffic congestion
• Gender Equity: Improved access for women riders and students, particularly those in peripheral areas
• Reduced Urban Inequality: Active mobility expanded access to markets, schools, and hospitals for low-income residents

Despite progress, challenges persist. These barriers highlight the need for sustained support:

• Lack of Formal Infrastructure: Few protected lanes or signals exist for cyclists
• Import Costs: Bicycles are expensive relative to incomes, limiting ownership
• Road Encroachment: Informal vendors and parked vehicles disrupt bike flows
• Low Institutional Capacity: Enforcement and budgeting are constrained
• Perception Gaps: Bicycles are still stigmatized as “poor people’s transport” by elites

Quelimane’s experience demonstrates that low-income, climate-vulnerable cities can build inclusive and resilient mobility systems without major capital investments. By recognizing and scaling local practices—rather than importing Western transport models—city leaders helped normalize cycling while supporting economic empowerment and public health.

With formal recognition of bike-taxis, evidence-driven planning, and peer learning from networks like BICI and TUMI, Quelimane offers a replicable pathway for mid-sized African cities. The model is especially relevant for municipalities seeking rapid, low-carbon, and low-cost transport transitions. Embedding cycling in urban identity is not only a response to crisis—it’s a deliberate strategy for urban equity and sustainability.

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=fZ3VvHkAAAAJ&hl=en

Manuel de Araújo
Mayor
Municipality of Quelimane
 

Classio Joao Mendiate
Researcher, Transport Engineer
University of Rwanda
classio.mendiate@living-lab.center

Eduardo Pelembe

Researcher. environmentalist
Municipality of Quelimane
eduarpelembe@gmail.com