While some commuters welcome the new policy as innovative, others worry about safety implications, claiming the infrastructure is not well suited.

“I think it’s a good measure, since traffic itself is regulated by law. If we decide that Mio motorcycles can join smaller bikes on the narrow lane, I find that normal,” says delivery rider Ben Ouattara.

Mio motorcycles and scooters are compact two-wheelers, lightweight and convenient for city travel, valued for their low maintenance costs.

For officials, the reform primarily aims to ease traffic on increasingly congested roads. By diverting some two-wheelers onto bike lanes, the goal is to reduce pressure on main routes and improve coexistence among different road users.

“They surely intended to protect the population by imposing this. But it would have been better to leave things as they were. The bike lane is narrow, and if it tries to hold all motorcycles there, traffic will get stuck. Nevertheless, we’ll follow and see how it goes,” says road user Sirina Ouédraogo.

However, many Burkinabè believe this decision alone won’t sustainably solve traffic jams. With the constant rise in motorcycle numbers, urban mobility requires both individual and comprehensive responses.

“I think on the bike lane we pay even more attention because we’re a bit cramped. Being there, there is more restraint, more caution. That means we can to some extent avoid accidents,” rejoices another user, Abdoulaye Mané.

“People don’t know traffic rules well. As a result, some when driving on main roads don’t realize they’re not moving correctly. Often we see women driving, they are on the left and want to go right. What I can tell people is just to avoid speeding. They use the small bike lane simply because they want to speed,” complains road user Sergène Yabré.

Furthermore, many users call for widening the bicycle lanes. In their view, these facilities, originally designed for bicycles, should be upgraded to safely accommodate more motorized two-wheelers. Such modernization could help better organize traffic and perhaps become a serious tool in the fight against urban congestion.