Following a press release on Monday the 16th January 2023 by the Ministry of Transport with regards to another new tariff of transport fares on commercial vehicles in the country, I am deeply worried and expressed my dissatisfaction to the authorizes concern over numerous increment of transport fares, and I am kindly appealing to the government to revisit the movement of commercial vehicles in the country.
The Ministry of Transport should also task the Transport Union to ensure all commercial vehicles are in good condition with a limited sitting capacity to avoid overloading for the safety of the passengers.
For over two years, The Gambia Transport Union has been putting pressure on the government to increase transport fares for drivers otherwise they will embark on nationwide sit-down- strike, which the public have witnessed on many occasions and that has affected the society.
Passengers will attest that 90% of the commercial vehicles especially the buses (Gelegeleh) are congested with a sitting capacity of 5 passengers in each row instead of 4 passengers. Drivers admitted that the sitting capacities in the vehicles were based on the registration of the vehicle insurance.
This is the reason why in most cases there are fatal accidents and some passengers sustain serious injuries because there is on space for passengers to escape. As the country is to adopt a new system of transport movement plying from one destination to another, the transport sector should be re-organised to satisfy passengers travelling from one place to another without hindrance or pain.
Considering the fact that the increment of transport fares will not only affect the civil servants who are paid less but will also find it difficult to travel daily to report at work with the amount of money spend per month will be left with no balance of money in such economic crises not to even mention our rural Gambians who travel daily from village to village.
We all know the global market prices have affected the population but notwithstanding drivers are not the only ones facing the economic crises in the country. We have seen other business communities and they have never put any pressure on the government nor reacted and why should the government always consider the demands of the union?
Government should not allow our country to be manipulated by the president of the union and his members for their interest. Transport union has a lot of work to do for the members of the union instead of confronting government authorities.
A lot of fatal accidents occurred due to negligence of driving and passengers could not control themselves. Since the Ministry of Transport is the regulatory body on behalf of the government, the ministry should give directives to the Transport Union to ensure all commercial drivers including their apprentices to maintain the driving code of conduct and discipline towards their passengers
Government should realise that in business, there is what is called “Give and Take,” and therefore there should be enforcement applied to all commercial drivers to abide by the law. It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport to engage the law makers, especially the police, to ensure that people’s lives are protected.
