Senegal Taxis

Hann Mariste laye Dem; Yatala? (I'm going to Hann Maristes how much is it?)

When I need to go somewhere in Dakar, this is what I do: I get out of the house, walk about half a mile to the closest busy roads, and wave for a Taxi.

As he stops(there aren’t many female Taxi drivers), I tell him where I want go, he then processes in his head how much he should charge me and then he gives me a price, and that’s when the heated negotiation starts.

Obviously, you know that Taxi drivers cannot calculate exactly in their head how many miles they’ll be driving to get you to your destination;

But in Senegal, whenever you take a Cab, you’ll have to negotiate. The price can be anything, depending on how well the driver has been doing financially that day.

Is there even a Chance that you'll get kidnapped?

I’ve taken Taxis in Senegal at any hour of the day for many years, and nothing has ever happened to me. I’ve also rarely heard on the news of a taxi man being involved in a serious criminal activity like kidnapping for example.

I think the only problem you might find with Senegalese Taxis is that they aren’t very comfortable; almost all of them are very old cars that probably date from the 1980’s;

and sometimes if the driver isn’t happy with what you agreed to pay him for the trip, he would stop and pick up another customer without asking you…

what's a Sept Place?

Some vans can take five, seven, nine people, or more. Senegalese have taken this concept and applied it to a normal sedan (station wagon).

Basically, they modify the space where the trunk is supposed to be, so that it can carry two or three extra people. Cars like this are called “Sept Place” (seven seats) in Senegal, and they’re your only alternatives to cabs, beside buses and Car Rapides.

Why anyone hasn't thought about this?

These last two years, my mom has been taking taxis to go to the many meetings her job requires. One day, she asked a cab driver to take her to multiple places around the city, and he accepted.

After the day was over and she paid him, the cab driver gave her his cell-phone number so that next time she wants to go somewhere, she can just call him and he will pick her up.

I think this is the only situation in which you’ll have the luxury to call a taxi and he picks you up at the front of your house; most of the time, you’ll have to walk to the nearest busy road.

Check <snip> for more useful info and tips.
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