The transport sector in Senegal is in agony according to taxi drivers, grouped around the Dolel Transport Movement. Urban Taxi drivers are protesting against the inaction of the authorities in the face of transport platforms such as Yango, Heetch and Yassir, which they accuse of unfairly competing with their activity.
At a hearing scheduled for today, the drivers’ hopes were once again dashed. The trial, which was to rule on the legality of the activities of these multinationals, was postponed until March 18. This fourth postponement sparked strong indignation among players in the sector. For Malick Diop, national secretary of the Dolel Transport Movement, the situation is untenable. “This is unacceptable. We are in total disarray. The transport system is in crisis because of these platforms which flout the country’s laws and regulations,” he says. Indeed, according to him, the Senegalese authorities, from the President of the Republic to the Minister of Transport Yankhoba Diémé, display a “complicit silence” in the face of the situation.
Malick Diop calls for firm measures to eradicate the activities of these digital platforms, which he accuses of “destabilizing an already fragile sector”. Faced with what they consider to be a legal impasse, taxi drivers have decided to take action. Starting next Monday, they will wear red armbands in protest, a gesture they call a “universal symbol of discontent.”
Modou Seck, president of the Regroupement des Taxis Urbains, explains on this subject: “Everyone knows that the taxi profession does not bring in much, but we make efforts to be in order, with our licenses and permits. These platforms prevent us from working properly. We can no longer pay our insurance or repay our bank loans. »
Indeed, the movement announces, the red armbands will be visible on drivers and their vehicles for 48 hours. A press conference is also planned next Wednesday to announce new measures, if no solution is found by then.
As a reminder, these drivers denounce unfair competition from digital platforms, which according to them operate outside of Senegalese legislation. They ask the State to protect local actors by strictly applying the laws in force. This crisis in the urban transport sector raises broader questions about the impact of digital platforms in African economies, where they often encounter resistance from traditional players.
Between now and March 18, the date of the next legal meeting, the mobilization of taxi drivers could intensify. All eyes are now on the Senegalese authorities, who will have to respond to these demands to calm an increasingly tense situation.
