By Akitania Nzally
Drivers of Tricycles locally known as ‘Tuk Tuk’ have pleaded to the government not to ban commercialisation of the tricycles in the country.
The drivers plead came as the police issued a statement to announce that ‘TukTuk’ as locally call will be banned from operating in the country on 31 December 2022.
However, the drivers lamented the ban will gravely cause them as many of them are the breadwinners of their families and survive on transporting people and goods with the tricycles
Speaking exclusively to The Voice, Hadim Bah, a Gambian tricycle driver said “I was staying at home during the ban, and life was extremely difficult for me and my family.”
“I am the breadwinner of my family and I earn my living from driving. I am pleading with stakeholders to please not ban the tricycles,” he added.
Mama Jah Bah, also a driver said: “I was a tailor before venturing into the tricycle business, we all know that tailoring is a seasonal business. So, I started learning how to drive the tricycle and that’s how I got into the business.”
According to him, when the police ban tricycles from operating, he was staying at home doing nothing, despite the claim that non-Gambians are driving these tricycles, he affirmed that there are Gambians who are also driving these tricycles which is their only source of livelihood.
“The tricycles have created jobs for many youths and also helped passengers get to their destination faster. So, they have an important role to play in the country’s development. We the youth are really trying hard and we need help and support but if you look at this policy it is going to affect us seriously so we are begging the government not to ban it,” he pleaded.
“I will not have anything to sustain myself and my family if they ban the tricycles on December 31st 2022. I only hope that some positive development happens in our favour,” Lansana Kabba, a tricycle driver said. He added that they have not been operating and now they have been allowed to restart but with restrictions on operation areas and a banned policy in December which is not good for their business.
“Most of us on the tricycle are concentrating on the Serrekunda- Manjai new road with limited customers, we are finding it difficult to make the same amount of profit we were making,” he said.
