Life and Traffic in Dakar
Many Senegalese feel the recent years of massive road construction under President Abdoulaye Wade is a vital (if painful) phase that will lift their capital to a new level of progress and urban integrity. Others - perhaps stuck in traffic for two hours for what should be a ten minute errand - may not be as convinced of the benefit of such ‘grand projects’.
Senegal, a former French colony, prizes its growing reputation as a model of democracy and tolerance in west Africa. The population is 95 percent Muslim, mainly quite moderate, with pockets of Lebanese, Europeans, and other foreigners. Its nightclubs and beaches are famous throughout the region and the world. On the surface it seems poised to evolve into a new, progressive breed of African state.
The vast upgrades currently underway seems to be a conscious step in that direction. Yet while the scale of development in Dakar is impressive, so is the persistence of the city’s poverty and corruption. It’s still too early to tell if the choking traffic jams of today will pay off tomorrow, bringing more prosperity to ordinary people. In the meantime life goes on, though often viewed through a car window.
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