General view of the accident scene of the bus in Kaffrine, January 8, 2023. CHEIKH DIENG / AFP
With an official death toll of 39 and 101 injured, including serious cases, around 3 a.m. (local time) on Sunday, January 8, two buses collided near the village of Sikilo in the Kaffrine region (im center west of Senegal). , is the deadliest accident in recent years in Senegal. The busy axis, National Road Number 1, is on the Dakar-Bamako Corridor. “Deeply saddened by this tragic traffic accident,” President of the Republic Macky Sall decreed a three-day national mourning beginning Monday. On the same day, Prime Minister Amadou Ba held an inter-ministerial emergency council to adopt “strict measures on road safety and public transport”.
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“We cannot expose the lives of our countrymen in a transport system that ignores respect for human life,” said Macky Sall. At their Monday evening meeting, transport stakeholders approved 23 urgent measures to improve road safety.
Including the creation of‘a structure responsible for the application of the Highway Code, the ban on public transport vehicles driving on interurban roads between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., the limitation of the service life to ten years for passenger cars and fifteen years for lorries, the ban on importing used tires, free technical inspection in Dakar for vans and trucks and the opening of technical surveillance centers in the regions. Currently there is only one modern technical control center in Dakar for the whole country. “We are now awaiting the ministerial decree for the application. Some points require a delay, but other measures can be implemented immediately,” says Gora Khouma, Secretary General of the Union of Road Carriers.
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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost 27,000 people are victims of traffic accidents in Senegal every year, 11,000 of them in Dakar. According to the NGO Partners West Africa, road accidents caused an average of 644 deaths each year between 2015 and 2019. 90% of these accidents are due to driver behavior: speed, negligence, carelessness and non-compliance with the Highway Code are the first factors to be pointed out. The lack of training for drivers of public transport, incorrect permits, the arbitrary application of penalties provided for by the Highway Code and the negligence of technical controls are also questioned.
The dilapidated condition of the vehicle fleet, which is very real, is also strongly complained about. “All public transport is old. These are used vehicles, often more than thirty years old, some of which have been devalued because they no longer meet the standards in the country of origin. And despite their degraded state, they remain in circulation for years,” explains Modou Kane Diao, Secretary General of the Land Transport Development Fund (FDTT).
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According to the initial findings of the Kaffrine accident investigation, a tire burst would have been the origin of the tragedy. Indeed, this is one of the recurring causes of road accidents in Senegal. In fact, most of the so-called new tires are not registered: mostly imported from Europe, they are more or less worn out and their conditions of use are not respected. In addition to their wear and tear, they are subject to excessive obesity. Buses often carry more passengers than allowed while additional luggage racks are overloaded. The condition of the roads, particularly the lack of signage and lighting, also plays a role, although “a major modernization of road infrastructure has taken place in recent years,” agrees Babacar Gaye, director general of the FDTT.
“Clean up the sector”
The drama of Kaffrine triggered strong emotions in the population, but also anger. Several voices were raised to denounce the promises made but never implemented and the legislative proposals that were never adopted. After the Kébémer accident in 2017 (25 dead), the Minister for Infrastructure, Land Transport and Development announced the introduction of the points license. The measure is not yet effective in the country. “The government is not applying the signed agreements. But with the Kaffrine accident, it is obliged to answer the national inquiry. We need to clean up and regulate the sector, that’s our responsibility! Human life is priceless, the state must provide the necessary funds,” asserts Mr. Khouma.
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Despite the significant delays, a National Road Safety Plan (PNSR) integrated with the Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE) has been adopted for the period 2021-2030 with the aim of reducing by 50% the number of fatalities and serious injuries in road accidents. Finally, in November 2021, the country set up a National Road Safety Agency (ANASER). But the structure, which is very new, has few means to complete its missions. Their reinforcement is also part of the measures adopted during the interministerial council of January 9th.
After all, the funds have so far been lacking to ensure the renewal of the vehicle fleet. The formation of the FDTT in July 2020 aims to accelerate this momentum with the seizure of more than 45,000 derelict vehicles by 2028. The cost of this renewal, borne by the State, is estimated at 1,200 billion CFA francs (more than 1 billion euros).