Senegal's urban cycling trend offers chance to boost green transport

By Sofia Christensen

Doctor Philip Moreira's commute to hospital on an electric bicycle is a dangerous, smog-infused weave through the chaotic traffic of Senegal's capital Dakar.

Moreira, 58, is part of a small but budding community of urban cyclists that have become a more common sight in recent years, zipping around Dakar's gridlock for exercise and fun, signalling a shift in the city's transport dynamics.

Cycling groups have never had so many members, and say authorities are not doing enough to turn the growing interest in bicycles into plans to reduce congestion and carbon emissions.

Moreira's club "Velo Passion" saw its memberships double to over 500 in the last five years.

Yet many of Dakar's cyclists still venture out only on weekends when traffic is lighter, due to concerns about poor infrastructure and reckless driving.

"Between cars that cut in front of you and those who honk at you relentlessly, it can be very difficult," said Moreira, recalling a close call with a bus.

As African leaders push for more funding for climate solutions ahead of COP29 next week, campaigners in Senegal say improving road safety and government-led cycling campaigns would get more people to switch away from cars - a cost-effective way to meet emission targets.

"You may not be able to convince people used to blasting AC in their SUVs," said campaigner Baye Cheikh Sow. "But you can target the new generation."

According to a 2022 United Nations Environment Programme report, Africa has the highest global average of walking and cycling at 56 minutes per person per day, compared to the global average of 43.9 minutes.

But this is not being retained as cities and incomes grow, because urban transport and status are biased towards motorised vehicles.

The rapid and often unregulated expansion of African cities has also turned the continent into the deadliest for cyclists and pedestrians, according to UNEP.

"In the African context we have a modal share of active mobility that countries in Europe would love to have... because people don't have a choice," said Carly Gilbert-Patrick, who leads the UNEP team for active mobility.

MORE CYCLING LANES

In an effort to meet the growing demand for sustainable urban mobility, Senegal is among a few African nations that have incorporated cycling into their plans.

Dakar's urban transport agency CETUD aims to construct a 175-kilometer integrated cycling lane network by 2035. However, the opening of the first 12-kilometer section has been delayed for several months, raising scepticism among the cycling community.

CETUD acknowledged via email that existing cycling infrastructure was inadequate, and that the government still had no policy to encourage urban cycling.

On a scorching Sunday, visibly irritated drivers were stopped to make way for cyclists racing in a loop on a highway outside Dakar.

Guisse Mohammed, a 39-year-old pharmacist who rarely misses Sunday outings on his sports bike, still drives to work for safety reasons.

"I have been thinking about buying a city bike," he said. "Having more cycling lanes could be a motivation."