The Human Geography Laboratory (LABOGEHU) of the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar and the Global Labour Institute of Manchester have released their report on the survey evaluating the impact of BRT on the 2020 workforce. The report was commissioned by the International Federation of Transport Workers (ITF).
The 2020 BRT Workforce Impact Assessment Report was released to the public. It examines the potential impact of the High Level Bus System (BRT) on the livelihoods and working conditions of people who depend on Dakar’s urban transport sector, particularly those who are employed in the informal economy.
And the work of the Human Geography Laboratory and the Global Labour Institute shows that up to 10,000 jobs in the informal sector in Dakar could be threatened. “At this stage of the research, no reliable estimates of the numbers can be provided, but it is possible that the livelihoods of 5,000 to 10,000 people may be at risk, after considering potential new jobs within the BRT, if no mitigation measures are adopted,” reads the document.
This report contributes to a better understanding of informal public transport in Dakar, and details its characteristics. It highlights difficult working conditions and the main problems facing workers, including job insecurity, long working days, low pay, sexual harassment, police harassment and lack of facilities. It also looks at the anticipated impact of the new BRT system on the current workforce and provides an estimate of the number of people whose livelihoods could be threatened.
The report, which is based on research conducted before the coronavirus pandemic, nevertheless informs that the authorities in Dakar (CETUD in particular) have given very positive indications of the involvement of unions representing urban transport workers in discussions on the introduction of the BRT and its impact on the labour force of informal transport. It is to be congratulated. It is hoped that city authorities, lending agencies and other key players will be able to seize the opportunity to work with unions to formalize the passenger transport industry as a whole,” the conclusion concludes.
The BRT project is part of a vision of a global urban project with public utility. It is a real opportunity for the qualitative transformation of the physiognomy of Dakar to reshape public spaces to international standards, to encourage active modes and to restructure the public transport network as a whole. The BRT project aims to contribute to a dual objective of ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity by improving access to jobs and markets.
