Togo plans to fully digitize ticket purchases for SOTRAL (Société des Transports de Lomé) buses by early 2026. The Ministry of Transport recently announced this initiative in its monitoring report on the implementation of reforms across state ministries and institutions, noting that the project has been underway for several months.
This announcement follows a successful two-month pilot phase conducted at the end of last year on student bus routes. The ministry, in collaboration with the operator Yas Togo, is now working to extend the digital payment system to the entire SOTRAL network, aiming to improve the efficiency and quality of urban public transport.
The project will implement a USSD code that allows users to purchase bus tickets digitally, simplifying access to public transport.
This initiative aligns with the Togolese authorities’ efforts to modernize public transport and complements the SOTRAL fleet renewal program launched in 2022, which cost over 15 billion FCFA.
SOTRAL, founded in September 2008, began operations with a pilot route connecting BIA to Adidogomé. It has since become the leading urban bus transport operator in Lomé, operating approximately 500 services daily and transporting nearly 26,000 passengers.
