Another new road accident plunged Senegal into mourning on Monday and opened the debate on the thorny issue of road safety.
Dakar citizens are worried and point to several causes, including the dilapidated state of vehicles and roads, the corruption of agents supposed to enforce the laws, or those in charge of driving licenses.
“There are many causes of accidents. People talk about the roads, but there are also the buses which are old cars, they carry a lot of luggage and drive haphazardly. The drivers are tired and they drive all at night, there is all that “, added a Senegalese citizen.
In the process, part of the transport unions announced an indefinite strike from Tuesday to protest against the measures taken by the authorities in the face of the multiplication of road accidents.
“I had 7 apprentices and three other drivers who aided me for long distances. Today I chose to fire five apprentices and a driver. What will happen to them now? They all have families they have to take care of. I had no choice because the state decided to eliminate the surplus of places in the buses, the diesel fuel increased, the customers do not accept that we increase the costs of transport, and in the end, we will work at a loss.”
On the other hand, many professionals judged the measures out of step with economic realities or lifestyles, for example, the ban on buses and minibusses from driving at night, or the ban on importing used tires.