Senegal's Grand Magal 2026: Road safety drive targets zero accidents, rail ridership up 10%

Transport Minister Abdoul Ahad Ndiaye outlined a strategy to achieve a "Magal zero accident" goal during the Grand Magal of Touba 2026. He reported a provisional tally of 278 road accidents, 22 deaths and 565 injuries, down from the previous year, and stressed that over 80% of crashes stem from driver behaviour. The government is expanding free technical checks, roadside assistance, and public awareness campaigns, and is finalising a decree to implement the new road code and an accident‑analysis bulletin.

Meanwhile, the Grand Trains du Sénégal carried 9,600 pilgrims between Thiès and Touba, a 10% increase over the prior year. General manager Moctar Bâ highlighted the introduction of electronic ticketing, which reduced queues and made rail travel more attractive amid a six‑kilometre road bottleneck on the highway to Touba. The railway operator is also preparing additional rolling stock for future pilgrimages.