This study is based on research conducted between January and June 2025, including a fieldwork phase carried out in Rufisque (Dakar) during January and February, followed by a phase of data analysis and writing from March to June at LAET (Laboratoire Aménagement Économie Transports). This master’s thesis focuses on horse-drawn transport in Rufisque, Senegal a traditional practice that remains very much alive despite rapid urban transformations and ongoing transport modernization policies in the country (such as the TER-Train Express Régional and BRT-Bus Rapid Transit projects). Far from being a mere relic of the past, the cart used for transporting goods and the carriage (or Weutiir, for carrying people and, where necessary, their belongings), pulled by horses, continues to meet concrete mobility needs, particularly in neighborhoods where formal transport services are lacking. It plays a key role as a local transport service, a resilient economic activity, and an element of local identity. Through qualitative interviews with drivers, local authorities, and residents, as well as a quantitative questionnaire administered to users, this research highlights the tensions that exist in Rufisque between modernization ambitions and everyday realities. The findings underscore the importance of rethinking public policy through a more inclusive and place-based approach that acknowledges and organizes existing practices rather than disregarding them.

Finally, the limitations of this research suggest the need for further investigation to better understand the role of these forms of mobility in the development of Rufisque and other peripheral areas of the Dakar metropolitan region.