The Executive Council for Sustainable Urban Transport (Cetud) of Senegal and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) have embarked on a strategic partnership to enhance urban transportation systems in Dakar and other cities across the nation. This initiative builds on the momentum of Cetud’s recent accomplishment in January 2024, with the successful deployment of Dakar’s pioneering Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, a first for sub-Saharan Africa, which now caters to around 300,000 passengers each day on its electric buses.
Despite the BRT system marking a leap forward in sustainable transit solutions, Cetud and GGGI acknowledge that there are additional layers to the urban mobility challenge. Issues such as traffic congestion, environmental pollution, and the need to provide mobility solutions for disadvantaged groups are critical concerns that require a holistic strategy in Dakar and other urban centers in Senegal.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the focus is on enhancing governance structures and improving the skill set of those working within the public transportation sector. Thierno Birahim, the Director General of Cetud, emphasized the importance of this alliance, noting that it will bolster planning processes and tackle the pivotal challenge of funding green mobility initiatives.
The collaboration is set to support several projects that are in line with the objectives of the MoU, including the roll-out of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (PMUD). The PMUD advocates for a multimodal transportation system that encourages the use of public and non-motorized forms of transit. Cetud projects that the execution of this plan will lead to a 60% enhancement in the reliability of the public transport network.
Additionally, the expansion of the Dakar Regional Express Train (TER) is in progress, with the second phase aiming to connect the rail service to the Blaise Diagne International Airport. This 19-kilometer extension is expected to significantly alleviate road congestion and is projected to cut down annual CO2 emissions by roughly 92,000 tons.
The expansion project, which comes with a price tag of 35 billion CFA francs (about 53.4 million euros), is being financed by the West African Development Bank (BOAD), further demonstrating the commitment to advancing sustainable transportation infrastructure in the region.
