• Senegal plans revised Highway Code adoption by mid-2026
• Reform introduces penalty-points licences, mandatory driving school training
• Measures aim reduce 5,200 yearly accidents and improve road safety

Senegal is accelerating work on a revised Highway Code, with adoption expected by mid-2026. A workshop to review draft regulations was held on Tuesday, March 10, 2025, under the chairmanship of Minister of Land and Air Transport Yankoba Diémé.

According to the authorities, the reform mainly aims to strengthen road safety through several structural measures. One of the key provisions is the introduction of a penalty-points driving licence system designed to hold drivers more accountable and penalize violations more effectively. The reform would also make driving school training mandatory and modernize driving licence examinations.

The new regulations also introduce digital tools for managing vehicle technical inspections and the payment of fines. At the same time, the government is studying the creation of a specialized road traffic police force. Inspired by a model already implemented in Côte d’Ivoire, according to the ministry, the unit would be tasked with enforcing traffic regulations across the entire road network, including highways and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors.

According to Minister Yankoba Diémé, the technical work required to implement the new system is nearly 80% complete. This paves the way for the adoption of the regulations and their gradual rollout in the coming months.

These reforms form part of a broader roadmap aimed at restructuring the road transport sector and reducing accident rates. As part of this effort, a delegation from Senegal’s Ministry of Land Transport conducted a study visit to Abidjan last week to examine digital road traffic management systems, as Côte d’Ivoire is considered one of the pioneers in this field in West Africa.

The government program also includes stricter vehicle inspections, particularly targeting minibus operators who are frequently cited in accident statistics. It also provides for an expansion of urban public transport services, notably through a modernization project for the public transport company Dakar Dem Dikk.

According to data from the National Gendarmerie, Senegal records an average of 5,200 road accidents per year, resulting in approximately 745 deaths and more than 8,500 serious injuries. The associated economic losses are estimated at between 4% and 5% of gross domestic product, representing nearly 163 billion CFA francs (around $286 million) annually.

Henoc Dossa