Urban Transport Reform in Dakar, Lessons from 15 Years Experience, The Search of Complementarity between Bus and Minibus Operators

This paper describes how Dakar was engaged in a new urban transport policy in 1992 when a seminar was organized with all of the stakeholders of the system. The objective was to give more efficiency to the urban transport operators, both the bus company and the artisan minibus operators, and more consistency inside the public action. The paper considers the present situation 15 years later, the steps of the reform, and the failures in the reform attempt: (1) creation of the organizing Authority CETUD in 1997; (2) disappearance of Sotrac, the bus company, in 1998-99; (3)creation of a new bus company Dakar Dem Dik, in 2000; (4) continuing development of the artisan micro-operators of minibuses called cars rapides; (5) endless negotiation to organize the minibus sector with some results; (6) attempt to renew the minibus fleet, finally at a restrained scale; and (7) deterioration of mobility conditions due to increasing congestion. The main conclusion of the paper is that the scheme of complementarity between large companies and small size operators (artisans) is confirmed as unavoidable and adequate but its implementation needs more time than planned and it needs to be sustained permanently. The modernization of the sector and the increase of its professionalism involve long negotiations. That needs to be managed with continuity by an organizing Authority the efficiency of which is dependant on the political context. Ten years after its creation this Authority has still to convince about its role as the system has permanently to be fitted and adapted to an evolving environment.