Horsepower for Dakar commuters

The horse and cart is making a come back

Commuters in Senegal's capital are resorting to horses to help evade heavy traffic and cut transport costs.

The BBC's Ebrima Sillah in Dakar says a 20-minute journey can take more than an hour during the city's rush hour.

Frustrated passengers are now using a new horse and cart taxi service, which is adept at beating the jams.

"The roads are sometimes very busy so we take the shorts cuts to get home faster than the cars," says Alhadj Mbaye a horse taxi operator.

The horses are able to use paths leading to the centre of Dakar and unlike minibus taxis are never overloaded.

They began carrying passengers three months ago and only carry a maximum of three at a time.

There are about 100 now operating in the city and are approximately half the cost of taxis.

Cheaper

The horse taxis have long been viewed as ideal for businessmen seeking to ferry goods across the congested capital.

Sidi Sarr, a businessman, says the horse carts are quicker, cheaper and more reliable than taxis.

With the growing numbers of unemployed people, the mode of transport has also become a reliable source of income for many in Dakar.

"I am enjoying this very much because people hire us many times, it's a good source of income for my family," says Mr Mbaye who has to wake up early each morning to stay in business.