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afrol News, 15 July - The governments of The Gambia and Senegal have agreed to new regulations for the traffic on the Transgambian highway, connecting northern and southern Senegal. A disagreement over national quotas of vehicles to carry people and goods on the highway has made Senegalese chauffeurs boycott the routes, to Gambian road traders' great frustration. Senegal and The Gambia have signed a two-year agreement to regulate their growing inter-state road transports. The agreement in particular treat the inland Transgambian highway, connecting Dakar with Ziguinchor - the capital of Senegal's troubled southern Casamance province - passing through Kaolack and the Gambian town Farafenni. Also the coastal Dakar-Ziguinchor connection - passing through the Gambian capital Banjul - and a minor road are regulated by the agreement. A major source of dispute has been the licensing of commercial vehicles transporting people and goods on these important road connections. Commercial traffic has so far been dominated by Senegalese operators, making the Gambian government demanding a licence system to assure the equal participation of Gambian operators. The lengthy negotiations between Banjul and Dakar started with the Gambian demand of the same number of licences for Gambian and Senegalese registered vehicles. According to the Senegalese government, the reached agreement provides for a total of 250 permanent licences; 150 of which are to be given Senegalese carriers. 170 of the 250 licences were to be given to the commercial transport of people. The trade union of Senegalese professional drivers had been outraged by the Gambian demand to turn more of the inter-state transport business Gambian. Protesting the negotiations, drivers using the transit route started boycotting the Transgambian highway and instead used the much longer and slower connection over inland Tambacounda. According to a report by the Senegalese news agency APS, Gambian traders were losing Franc CFA millions a day as a consequence of the boycott. Salesmen in Farafenni had told APS they feared for their livelihoods if traffic was not resumed within short. The 17 kilometres of transit through The Gambia have resulted in great commercial activities along the road as the Gambian external trade and tax policy is significantly more relaxed than the Senegalese. Senegalese voyagers therefore use the stops in The Gambia to buy cheap imported items. Farafenni is a boom town at the Senegalese border which owns most of its existence to this trade. The trade union has yet to make a statement on the new Senegalese-Gambian agreement. Although the agreement is not likely to please Senegalese drivers, it was seen as unlikely that the boycott of the popular route could go on for a long time. The agreement's opening up for Gambian transporters than would be fulfilled quicker than desired by Senegalese drivers.
Sources: Based on Senegalese govt and press and afrol archives
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