Finally a solution for the inhabitants of Dakar? The inauguration of the country’s first TER, Monday, December 27, should help relieve congestion in the Senegalese capital. The inhabitants who take the road every morning have so far lived an “ordeal” in the middle of traffic jams. “We often arrive late when we want to go to work, explains one of them. It’s really complicated. Often it even makes me nauseous, our head is spinning, we can no longer move forward. We are tired.” Some Dakar residents get up very early so as not to risk these delays and wait a long time in front of their company doors for the opening time.
Some figures to understand how congested Dakar is: the city has 20% of the total population of Senegal (about three million inhabitants), in area it represents less than 1% of the national territory and it brings together more than 85% of nationwide jobs. It means a lot of people in the same place, at the same times. According to the World Bank, Dakar congestion causes the country to lose 152 million euros per year.
This TER must therefore unblock Dakar. According to President Macky Sall, who inaugurated the train himself, the TER will become “the backbone of Dakar transport”. This ultra-modern regional express train is the pride of the Senegalese president who wants to revitalize the towns crossed by the route. The TER is part of the Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE), a development program initiated by President Sall in power since 2012. It must be completed by 2035.
For the moment, the route is only 36 kilometers long. It connects Dakar to the city of Diamniado in about thirty minutes, while it takes several hours in the morning when the traffic is blocked. 8,500 jobs were created.
France took part in the arrival of the train, particularly in the construction of tracks and trains. The project cost more than 1.1 billion euros, “two-thirds financed by loans from the Islamic Development Bank, France and the African Development Bank”, RFI note. A second section is under construction. It will link Dakar to the international airport by 2023.
Will this really be enough to reduce Dakar traffic jams? Help yes, sufficient, probably not. 115,000 passengers are expected to be carried per day. They still have to take their place on board the TER.
The ticket costs between 2.5 and 4 euros, a big expense if you take it every day. The average salary in Senegal is 186 euros. To attract passengers, the TER will be free for a fortnight. But after this period of discovery, many Senegalese will undoubtedly continue to take collective taxis and buses, very popular in the country and much cheaper.
The train will also have cost a lot to the inhabitants who lived on its route. Thousands of people have been expropriated and delivery to the relocation sites has been delayed. A collective of expropriated people is demanding compensation from the state of around 76 million euros.