from AMADOU NDIAYE in Dakar, Senegal
Senegal Bureau
DAKAR, (CAJ News) – SENEGAL is to receive an international accolade for its investments in electric public transport.
The award by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), based in the United States, is mainly for the capital Dakar’s all-electric Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system that debuted in 2024.
The Sustainable Transport Award (STA), to be received in February, recognises the city’s progress over the past year to promote sustainability, accessibility, and inclusion with substantial and transit-oriented development.
This system includes plans for over 18 kilometres of corridors, 23 stations and a fleet of 121 articulated electric buses (e-buses).
“Innovation is woven into the very fabric of Dakar’s BRT,” said Dr Thierno Birahim Aw, Director General of the Executive Council of Sustainable Urban Transportation (CETUD), in French, locally.
“Our fully electric vehicles, solar-powered bus stations and smart systems align with global sustainability trends, making Dakar a green transport leader in Africa,” the official added.
CETUD is running awareness campaigns that showcase the environmental and socio-economic benefits of choosing public e-transport.
“All these advancements enable us to offer a high-quality, efficient alternative to private cars,” said Aw.
Dakar’s BRT created 1000 direct jobs, 45 percent of which were roles for women.
It is expected to serve 300 000 passengers a day and reduce journey times from 95 to 45 minutes, leading to significant time savings for users.
The Executive Council of Sustainable Urban Transportation estimates that the Bus Rapid Transport will enable 69 percent of Dakar’s 4 million inhabitants to reach the city centre in less than an hour by public transport, compared with only 57 percent previously, while making 180 000 jobs more accessible to low-income communities.
It is expected to help mitigate over 53 000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year with the all-electric fleet.
A 2021 study from CETUD established that the national economy loses nearly CFA 900 billion (or US$1,4 billion) a year due to issues related to poor air quality, traffic congestion, unsafe roads and noise pollution.
This amounts to almost 6 percent of the annual national gross domestic product (GDP).
– CAJ News