Abdoulie Tambedou, Managing Director of the Gambia Ferry Services has disclosed that the deplorable condition of Kaur-Dankunku ferry crossing point will soon be addressed to ensure unhindered movement of goods and persons.
Mr. Tambedou’s was reacting to mounting concerns among the trafficking-public over the Kaur-Dankunku crossing point. Commuters have been undergoing the painful experiences of wading through pools of stagnant water on both banks of the river.
“We are definitely working on to construct the slip ways because already we have sent a team there to inspect the place as very soon work will start. We have already engaged a contractor to do the work and once the assessment is completed, work will start in earnest,” the ferry services boss disclosed to The Voice.
“We are very concerned about the condition of the people, using that crossing point. This is why we are doing everything possible to address the situation. Currently, an assessment have already been completed and what we are working on is to see how best this can be handled and hopefully before the end of the rainy season, this work should be completed,” he added.
However, scores of commuters, who spoke with The Voice, have expressed deep concerns, regarding the dire situation of the Kaur-Dankunku Ferry Crossing Point that they claimed have been neglected by both the Gambia Government and the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) and by extension, the Gambia Ferry Services.
According to them, commuters and passengers traveling in either direction of the crossing point, find it tough to access the ferry services after the banks have been inundated by flooding. The flooding makes it virtually impossible to cross over.
Momodou Jarra, a businessman who had since stopped using the crossing point, hinted that vehicle and motorcycle owners find it extremely difficult to enter the ferry due to the inundation, noting that most of them prefer to use the Farafenni-Soma route to reach their various destinations in Niamina.
According to him, the situation persisted for more than five years without any action taken by the government or the ferry services to address it, explaining that the entire boarding area on both sides of the river “are currently over flooded”, restricting not only vehicle and motorcycle owners but commuters and passengers, using the crossing point to travel to Kaur or Niaminaas well.
Alanso Keita, a teacher who frequented the crossing point, described the situation at the crossing points as dire and dangerous, hinting that it poses greater challenge to the elderly and young, who are carried on the shoulders of youths to get access to the ferry.
He observed that both the government and ferry services must urgently address the concerns of the people of the area, especially those using the ferry, noting that the situation is having a negative impact on businesses and on the weekly Lumoin Kaur as the major crossing point of the region continues to scare them.
He revealed that the situation persisted for many years now without any response from both the central government and the Gambia Ports Authority, adding that the crossing point is one of the most important river crossing points in the country that allows thousands of residents of Niamina to attend Lumo and other commercial activities in Kaur and its surroundings
