Mission report: CODATU in Dakar

A CODATU delegation was in Dakar from January 14^th to 18^th to meet the different Senegalese actors of sustainable mobility. The team was composed with Dominique Bussereau (Chairman of CODATU et Chairman of the French Departments Assembly), Christian Philip (General Secretary of CODATU), Jean-Jacques Helluin (Executive Manager of CODATU), Bernard Rivalta (Vice-President of CODATU) et Mélissande Boyer (Program assistant for MobiliseYourCity – CODATU).

Various objectives were assigned to this mission:

• Participate in the inauguration of the Regional Express Train (TER) in Dakar (project for which CODATU is conducting a Technical Assistance on governance), and initiate reflexions with Senegalese authorities on the future of this technical assistance and the future Regional Train stakes (reorganisation of the bus system, accessibility of the New City, junction with the Bus Rapid Transit – BRT)
• Signature of a partnership Convention between CODATU and CETUD on the organisation of the CODATU World Conference 2020 which will take place in Dakar, and exchanges with the different Senegalese stakeholders (CETUD, Ministries, Universities, private sector, founders) on the objectives, content and partnerships to develop for this conference
• Initiate discussions with CETUD on the Technical Assistance financed by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and entrust to CODATU to elaborate Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans in two secondary cities in Senegal based on the MobiliseYourCity methodology
• Clarify with CETUD the configuration that could acknowledge the future CODATU representation in Senegal, based in CETUD, probably in the form of a VSI (International Volunteering of Solidarity) and a Graduate student from the Master in Lomé. Introduction of Mélissande Boyer to CETUD
• Clarify the role of CODATU in the future Transport Formation Centre in Dakar

Monday 14^th:

Meeting in the IsDB’s office in Dakar, in presence of a CETUD representative, Abdoulaye Sy, to discuss in first hand of the Technical Assistance entrust to CODATU regarding the elaboration of SUMPs in two secondary Senegalese cities identified as Mbour and Thiès. In a second hand, presentation of the World Conference 2020. The initiative was warmly received and with a lot of interest by the IsDB representatives. Visit of the New City of Diamniadio where stands the Abdou Diouf International Conference Centre, provided by the Senegalese government to receive the World Conference 2020 from November 9^th to 11^th. Location recce of the rooms, spaces and initiation of a reflexion for the future organisation.

Inauguration of the Regional Train in the end of the day. The first train carriage drove the Senegalese President, Macky Sall, from Diamniadio to Dakar Central Station where he made his inaugural speech. This first line will serve 14 stations from Dakar city-center to the Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD) in Diass, via Rufisque and Diamniadio on a 47 kms run and with a top speed at 160km/h. The Regional Train opening to the population is expected for summer 2019.

The Regional Train inauguration, ©CODATU

Tuesday 15^th:

Meeting in the Ministry of Infrastructures, terrestrial Transports and Territories’ opening with the different sector directors, and in presence of AGEROUTE and CETUD representatives, to discuss about the Conference CODATU 2020. Crucial themes came out of the discussion: the importance of intermodality, the essential accounting of the leapfrog dynamics in terms of mobility and the importance of Digital matters (Africa is the first continent in matter of digital transactions). Those considerations shall be replaced in the Senegalese context where most of the population lives on 0.3% of the national territory (Dakar and neighbourhoods – Great Dakar) with the necessity to plan and think in terms of urban dynamics the way out of the Dakar peninsula and the urban spread toward the hinterland.

Meeting with the Ministry of Transports, Mr. Adboulaye Douada Diallo, and signature of the partnership convention between CETUD and CODATU regarding the organisation of CODATU 2020 in presence of the Ministry.

Meeting at the French Embassy in the end of the day to talk about the Conference project with the French Ambassador in Senegal, H.E. Christophe Bigot, in presence of representatives from the Embassy Economic Service, along with the Head of AFD in Dakar, Mme. L. Hart.

Wednesday 16^th:

Meeting at the French Embassy with the Head of the Economic Service in Senegal, Mr. V. Toussaint, and the West Africa Regional Advisor for Sustainable Development, Climat and Environment, Mr. C. Maman, to list the potential partners of the Conference.

Meeting with the World Bank delegation in Dakar to discuss about its financial contribution to the organisation of the Conference, and to talk about its regional action in matter of sustainable mobility (BRT financings, buses etc.).

Meeting with Pr. Niang to discuss the project of the Transport Formation Center on African urban mobilities along with the proposition of an Innovation Prize in Mobility that will be awarded during the Conference.

Thursday 17^th:

Meeting with the graduate students from the Master in Lomé. Work with one of them, M. Diow, hired to be consultant for CODATU and based in CETUD, about his missions from February 2019. Work of J.-J. Helluin at CETUD on the Convention AT PROMOVILLE financed by the IsDB.

Friday 18^th:

Meeting with AGEROUTE on the morning. Work on the Convention AT PROMOVILLE and the Urban Development Plan of Dakar during the second part of the day.