The 9 January 2023 Inter-Ministerial Council on Road Safety
After the tragic accident that took place on National Motorway No. 1, where it meets the village of Sikilo (department of Kaffrine, district of Gniby), the President of the Republic Macky SALL posted a message on his social media to present the condolences of the Nation to the grieving families and affirm his support for the injured.
The Head of State did not stop at just that. After announcing a three (03) day national mourning period, he travelled to the scene of the tragedy. The Prime Minister and several members of the Government, including the Ministers in charge of the Departments of Transport, Health and Community Development, were also on site to lend the State's full support.
Taking an inclusive approach, the Interministerial Council on Road Safety, which met yesterday, Monday 9 January 2023, produced an “uncompromising diagnosis” of the situation. In order to take the resolute action expected by the Senegalese people, the government and stakeholders adopted 22 “groundbreaking” measures.
Specifically, the Government has committed:
1- the Ministry of the Armed Forces in conjunction with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry in charge of Transport, to submit to the Government, within 15 days, a draft decree establishing an autonomous multi-sectoral structure, headed by a senior officer, under the authority of the Minister of Transport and responsible for the stringent enforcement of the provisions of the Highway Code;
2- the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Transport, to adopt within 72 hours an interministerial decree prohibiting public passenger transport vehicles on interurban roads between 11 pm and 5 am and reiterating the driving hours for goods vehicles in Dakar;
3- the Ministry of Land Transport to issue, within 72 hours, a decree limiting the operating period to 10 years for passenger vehicles and 15 years for goods vehicles;
4- the Ministry in charge of Finance, the Ministry in charge of the Economy, the Ministry in charge of Transport and the Ministry in charge of Trade to submit to the Government, within 15 days, a plan to speed up the implementation of the fleet modernisation and renewal programme.
This programme will be a priority for the Government included in the PSE’s PAP-3, the funding of which will be fully mobilized. Already, part of the subsidy initially intended for the transport sector will be allocated to the renewal of the fleet of transport vehicles;
5- the Ministry in charge of Finance, the Ministry in charge of Transport and the Ministry in charge of Trade to submit to the Government, within 15 days, a draft enactment prohibiting the import of used tyres (second-hand tyres);
6- the Ministry in charge of Land Transport to adopt a measure making compulsory the free technical inspection in Dakar for all vehicles transporting people and goods and suspending for a period of 3 months the technical visits on private vehicles;
7- the Ministry in charge of Finance and the Minister in charge of Land Transport will need to open, in the timeliest manner possible, technical control centres in the regions;
8- the Ministry in charge of Land Transport, to take the necessary measures to make mandatory the sealing of speed meters for passenger and freight transport vehicles at 90 km/hour;
9- the Ministry of Land Transport to issue, within 72 hours, an order banning any conversion of vehicles intended for the transport of merchandise into passenger transport vehicles;
10- the Ministry of Land Transport to issue, within 72 hours, an order prohibiting any conversion of vehicles aimed at increasing passenger seating capacity or to create additional luggage racks;
11- the Ministry of Land Transport to issue, within 72 hours, an order prohibiting the installation and use of luggage racks, and requiring the dismantling of those already fitted to passenger transport vehicles;
12- the Ministry in charge of Land Transport, in conjunction with the Ministry in charge of Trade, to issue a decree within 72 hours revising the conditions for being awarded transport approval and the technical specifications of vehicles intended for the transport of people and goods;
13- the Ministry in charge of Land Transport to submit to the Government, within 72 hours, a proposal to adjust the minimum age for being granted a licence to drive urban and interurban passenger transport vehicles to 25 years and to 23 years for interurban goods transport vehicles;
14- the Ministry of Land Transport and the Ministry of Health to propose, in the nearest possible future, the process through which health services will be more involved in assessing physical fitness to drive when issuing and renewing driving licences;
15- the Ministry of the Armed Forces, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Finance to submit, in the nearest possible future, to the Government a project to digitise the payment of fines and penalties linked to road traffic offences;
16- the Ministry in charge of Land Transport to submit to the Government a regulatory act making it compulsory for all drivers and passengers of 2-wheeled vehicles to wear helmets;
17- the Ministry in charge of Land Transport and the Ministry in charge of Labour to step up monitoring of compliance by transport operators with the provisions of the Labour Code (contracts in due form and payment of social security contributions);
18- the Ministry of Finance and the Budget and the Ministry of Transport to take the necessary measures to build the capacities of the Road Safety Agency with a view to accelerating its deployment, in particular the creation of a training and advanced training school for drivers of public transport vehicles;
19- the Ministry of Finance and the Budget, the Ministry of the Economy and the Ministry of Transport to submit to the government, within 15 days, a plan to strengthen the national public transport companies, in particular to increase their capacity;
20- the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry in charge of Transport, the Ministry in charge of Urban Planning, to set up a vehicle pound within the jurisdiction of each department and to develop rest areas at the entrance to large conurbations;
21- the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Health, to strengthen the rescue and medical assistance system for road accident victims;
22- the Higher Council for Road Safety and Education will be operational and will follow up on the recommendations made.