- Solar energy will power the public e-bus fleet and connect 14 Dakar communes from north to south.
- The World Bank, the European Investment Bank and Senegal financed the BRT project, which cost about 300bn CFA francs (about $500m).
The President of Senegal, Macky Sall, inaugurated the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) fleet yesterday after a four-year wait. Solar energy will power the 120 BRT e-buses and connect 14 Dakar communes from north to south. The large-capacity buses (approximately 150 seats) are set to carry about 300,000 passengers daily.
The World Bank, the European Investment Bank and the State of Senegal financed the BRT project, which cost about 300 billion CFA francs (about $500m). Sall said, “Sunday, 14th of January, will go down in our history as a day on which we took another leap towards a modern Senegal. We did it with the regional trains. Now, the BRT reinforces our commitment to the new era of the mass transportation revolution, which solves today’s problems and anticipates those of tomorrow.”
Dakar residents are hopeful the new fleet will help with the city’s congested traffic. In addition, they are optimistic it will improve urban mobility throughout Dakar. Movement from the suburbs to Dakar and vice versa is complex. The residents will soon move around their city on board these electric buses.