The road transporters of Senegal have decreed an unlimited strike which will come into effect on 17 January 2023. This was done at a general assembly held this Saturday. The reason for the walkout is that the transport actors reject the measures taken by the government to combat road accidents.

At the end of a general assembly on Saturday, Senegalese road transporters decided to step up their fight against the State. Indeed, after the tragedy in Kaffrine, the executive took appropriate measures to avoid such tragedies. Among the 22 contested measures is a ban on buses and minibuses between 11pm and 5am.

“We met today to announce an unlimited strike from midnight on 17 January. From this date onwards, we want no goods or public transport vehicles to be on the road” said Alassane Ndoye.
For the frondeurs, it is up to the base to decide. They denounce decisions taken without consultation with the various stakeholders. “These are measures that were concocted with a minority in this sector. So these measures do not concern us because we have never been involved,” lamented the secretary general of the SNTTRS, who called for a general mobilisation against these measures of the State of Senegal.

However, the State remains firm on the rigorous application of the measures taken. In Dakar, controls have been reinforced and the State has asked that all vehicles be checked and that the police ensure that papers are in order.

As a reminder, on the night of Saturday 7 to Sunday 8 January, Senegal experienced one of the deadliest accidents in its history. This tragedy caused at least forty deaths, leaving the population in total consternation. Following this tragedy, President Macky Sall, who said he was “deeply saddened by the tragic road accident”, declared three days of national mourning and promised to take “all the measures required by this situation” to limit road accidents in Senegal.