Transport in Mali

Road transport is Mali’s dominant means of moving people and goods. The classified network covers about 89,024 kilometres, including 14,102 kilometres of national roads. A 2014 baseline recorded 21,681 kilometres of developed roads: 5,694 kilometres paved, 1,767 kilometres modern earth roads and 14,220 kilometres improved tracks. In that baseline, 21.8% was in good condition, 41.2% passable and 37% poor; about 37,304 kilometres of rural tracks were assessed as very poor. These figures are historical baselines rather than a current complete inventory. The Direction Nationale des Routes plans the state network, AGEROUTE carries out maintenance, and the Autorité Routière finances road work through fuel, axle and toll revenues. Projects announced for 2025 and 2026 include national-road and rural-track works, but completion should be checked project by project. Bamako has the country’s strongest urban transport concentration. SOTRAMA is a private minibus service, while dourouni shared taxis, moto-taxis and ordinary taxis provide other options. Tricycles are also used in secondary cities. Stops, fares, vehicle condition, comfort and departure frequency vary by city, provider and journey, and no nationally uniform timetable or fare has been verified. Walking accounts for more than half of urban journeys in the available 2020 assessment, but sidewalks and crossings are often inadequate. Traders and parked vehicles can occupy space intended for movement. Cycling is present, but no reliable national cycling network or current official cycling map has been established. Motor-vehicle use generally involves registration and identification through a carte grise and number plate, insurance, an annual vignette and a valid visite technique, meaning the technical inspection. Public transport vehicles additionally use a carte nationale de transport. Its application requires a form, a 200-FCFA stamp, the carte grise, valid technical inspection, national insurance and the annual vignette. The stated processing time is 24 hours; the fiscal stamp costs 2,000 FCFA and the transport authority’s fee varies. Technical inspections are available through Mali Technic System in Sogoniko or regional facilities. A vehicle modification requires prior ministerial approval and then individual approval called réception à titre isolé. A driving school is not legally required under the cited administrative guidance. An applicant submits the licence request to the Direction Régionale des Transports or a cercle subdivision and completes theory and practical tests. A provisional licence can be issued within a maximum of seven days, while the definitive licence is expected about one month after proof of success. Listed administrative amounts include 150,000 FCFA for heavy-vehicle driving-school training, 110,000 FCFA for light-vehicle training, 4,000 FCFA for each examination, 4,000 FCFA for the application file and 5,000 FCFA for road-safety training; these amounts depend on the current administrative rules and portal information. Mali’s road traffic code governs road use. The Direction Générale des Transports, police and gendarmerie inspect documents, vehicles and compliance. The Agence Nationale de la Sécurité Routière, known as ANASER, and the national gendarmerie have conducted joint controls on major Bamako connections since August 2025. Their priorities include speed, helmets, child safety, technical inspections, vulnerable road users and emergency response. Mali has set a national target of reducing road deaths by 50% by 2030. Reported figures and estimates differ sharply: 736 deaths were reported for 2021, while a World Health Organization estimate gave 4,429, showing substantial under-reporting and uncertainty in national accident data. Since 1 April 2025, oversized or overloaded heavy goods vehicles have been prohibited on the national network under the cited rule. Long-distance travel uses major road corridors linking Bamako with Koulikoro, Ségou, Sikasso and Kayes, as well as connections toward Kourémalé, Kangaba, Diboli, Kita and Kéniéba. As a landlocked country, Mali also depends on transit links toward ports through Dakar, Abidjan, Conakry and San Pedro. Current departure times, prices and travel conditions depend on the provider and corridor and should be confirmed locally before departure. The metric Dakar–Bamako railway covers 1,286 kilometres in total, including 642 kilometres in Mali and 24 Malian stations. Its infrastructure has historically been in poor condition and less competitive than road transport. Technical railway documents were adopted under an AES roadmap in 2025, but a current regular passenger service, timetable or fare has not been reliably confirmed. River transport uses parts of the Niger and Senegal basins, with about 2,334 kilometres of waterways and navigability commonly lasting roughly four to seven and a half months per year. Koulikoro is the main formal port and Mopti has crane facilities; thirteen formal ports and additional informal landing places serve pinasses and pirogues. COMANAV is the main formal river company, while pinassiers and piroguiers often handle short crossings and rural journeys. Water level, season and local security affect availability. Air transport is regulated and supervised by the Agence Nationale de l’Aviation Civile, or ANAC. Aéroports du Mali manages airport facilities, and ASAM provides airport assistance. Bamako’s Aéroport International Président Modibo Keïta-Sénou is the primary international gateway identified in the available research. Domestic and regional connections change over time, so only the airport, ANAC or the airline can confirm a current flight and fare. Older vehicles and fuel quality contribute to urban air pollution. Proposed measures include fleet renewal, fuel controls, a target of 15 mg/kg sulphur by 2030, four-stroke motorcycles and stronger priority for walking, cycling and public transport; live implementation has not been independently confirmed.