Going out without getting by? Mobility and poverty in Dakar

The objective of this chapter is to contribute to the knowledge and understanding of the links between poverty and daily mobility, based on the case of Dakar, Senegal. We aim to provide insights into the following questions. Does being poor influence the travel practices of urban dwellers and if so, what are the distinctive features of the mobility of the poor? Are the mobility practices of the poor likely to lift them out of poverty, or to lock them in? We present the study area and the empirical data used, then the definition of situations of poverty. We then examine the mobility of poor populations, before analyzing access to three essential activities: school, shopping and work. The metropolis of Dakar, due to its spatial development and the geographical characteristics of its location, shows a strong separation between places of activity and residential locations. Daily mobility is a significant expenditure item for Dakar's households. Traveling for food purchases is thus more difficult for the urban poor and even more difficult for the urban deprived. Walking over long distances is the norm, access to public transport is less frequent. Among other results, in the medium and long term, the more restricted access of children from poor households to the supply of schools has a negative impact, on continuation in school and possible access to more remunerative jobs.