Staff Reporter
The National Roads Authority (NRA) has conducted sensitization for drivers and all road users on road safety with particular emphasis on driving along the new Bertil Harding Highway.
Mr. Ousman Sanyang, managing director, NRA described road safety as a collective responsibility and is not only NRA’s business but ‘everybody’s business.’
“We are all road users in one way or the other, be it pedestrians, drivers, or for any other purpose one is using the road for. So, our safety on the road is our responsibility,” he said.
“Our mandates at the NRA are to ensure that people use the roads safely and that they are safe on the roads and road accidents are not majority caused by poor road design but mainly driver behavior,” he added.
He stated that information sharing is meant to educate and make people aware of safety issues and concerns about the roads in the country, noting the Gambia is one the countries with the poorest records on road safety and accidents in the world.
Mr. Sulayman Sumareh Janneh, deputy managing director, NRA expressed concern for the ongoing occurrence of accidents on the newly constructed Bertil Harding Highway.
He said he would educate the public on how to efficiently and effectively use the roads and give some safety precautions to take for the necessary calls for the press briefing.
“We intend to build a road that is going to be very comfortable and convenient for everybody to travel safely to and from their various places of business and workplace,” he said.
Mr. Bakary Manneh, road safety engineer, NRA, has said that even though the Bertil Harding Highway is still under construction, laws are governing, adding that they are very concerned about the number of accidents recorded on the road.
Mr. Manneh advised drivers and vehicle owners to first or usually check their tides before getting to their steering, adding that it is to the understanding of the Authority that most people do not know how to drive on the three-lane roads.
Lane One- the left lane- is for routing driving. Lane two- the middle lane and lane three- the right-hand lane is for overtaking. Keep to lane one unless there’s a build-up of slow-moving vehicles in that lane when you can move over to one of the other lanes.
According to him, lane three is the speed lane, and not heavy trucks or busses are supposed to be moving on that lane
Other speakers include, Lamin ‘King’ Colley, Commissioner Mobile Traffic Unit Gambia Police Force, and Mr. Omar Ceesay, President of the Gambia Transports Union both welcomed the initiative by the National Roads Authority, adding that road safety awareness campaign should be everybody’s responsibility.
