Promoting active mobility in Senegal

Context

In Senegal, transport accounts for 64 per cent of fossil fuel consumption and is thus the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions. The majority of transport demand is generated in the Dakar metropolitan area. Forecasts estimate a 40 per cent increase in transport demand in the centre of Dakar by 2035 and a fivefold increase on the outskirts. However, the existing road network is already operating at full capacity, leading to worsening traffic congestion, increased pollution, heightened noise levels, and a growing number of accidents. Pedestrians, who make up a significant portion of road users, face substantial risks in this environment.

Objective

Reforms to include active mobility (walking and cycling) as part of urban transport planning in the Dakar metropolitan region are successfully implemented.

Approach

The project supports the Ministry of Infrastructure, Road and Air Transport (MITTA) and the Executive Council of Sustainable Urban Transport (CETUD) in the development of walking and cycling strategies. To achieve this, the project:

• Contributes to building a steering committee for active mobility which includes the main institutions in transport.  
• Encourages the adoption of participatory approaches to mobility planning. Marginalised groups (women, elderly, people with reduced mobility, informal sellers and workers) are actively included in the planning.
• Supports its partners in planning a green corridor in Dakar and promotes the use of bikes amongst students by realising a bike share service on the campus of the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD).

Last update: January 2025