We have over the years insisted consistently on the rehabilitation of some of our roads in the country because we recognise the immense social and economic importance of some of them. Apart from making access to some outlying towns and villages much quicker, it will spur development at an incredible speed because it will lead to the decongestion of the metropolis.
Our point of discussion today is on the rainy season, which is fast approaching. Many a time, the beginning of the rainy season has its attendant costs and implications. It is the time when people's works reflect the movements of the season.
Movement from one part of the country during the rainy season has always been a problem, especially for civil servants and students, who wake up early morning to get to work or school before time. Most workers and students are seen stranded on the road sides because of inaccessibility to the area they are heading to by many cars.
The Department of State for Works, Infrastructure and Construction has done a lot in rehabilitating most of the main roads, key among which is the Westfield-Sukuta road project and other important outlets or feeder roads across the Greater Banjul Area. This road and a host of others are the areas teeming population commute day in, day out.
Common understanding can tell that the authorities may find it difficult to be able to fix up some of the bad roads during the rainy season, but the public should also be cooperative when the need arises. The public, especially drivers should avoid construction sites as it disturbs contractors during their work.
We recognise with deep appreciation, the efforts of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, the Gambian Agency for the Management of Public Works (GAMWORKS), the Trade Gateway Project under the Gambia Investment Promotion and Free Zones Agency (GIPFZA), the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and several others for their efforts.
We would also like to plead with vehicle drivers to drive professionally and to have in mind that there are pedestrians plying the roads to go about their businesses, so that they are not awashed or drenched with stinking waters from potholes along the roads.
Nevertheless we hope and pray that much of this problem would be a thing of the past.