The
Ministry of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure and its line ministry and
departments Wednesday convened a daylong stakeholders’ consultative meeting to
update the National Transport Policy at the Paradise Suite Hotel.
The
meeting that brought various managing directors and director generals discussed
the issues affecting their industry and how to harmonise and consolidate the
gains made over the past meetings.
It was also mentioned that over the past
months, several consultative meetings have been held to synergize and share
information and inputs from various stakeholders in the transport sector in
order to map out the way forward for the updating and development of a
comprehensive national transport policy.
Delivering
a speech at the meeting, the Managing Director of National Roads Authority
(NRA), Momodou Senghore, said the importance of having an up to date National
Road Transport Policy (NRTP) could not be overemphasised.
He
said the transport system was vital to sustain and enhance economic
development, growth, poverty reduction and improve the quality of life.
According
to MD Senghore, the transport sector in The Gambia has not been able to respond
effectively to the increasing and diversified transport demands and also services
have been provided at high coast.
“It
is evident that there is a wide gap between the policy that is enunciated and
the current realities of the Government of The Gambia,” he added.
To have a formulated transport policy would
require the development and application of a robust multi-modal, multi
sectorial and integrated transport strategy, he stated.
“The
updating of the national road transport policy at this critical moment of our
socio-economic and political development
cannot be more timely and relevant, especially when our home-grown consultants
have teamed-up to carry the task of this magnitude,” he said.
“The
policy will be on the immediate and foreseeable needs of transport users and
how an integrated transportation system can better serve the people as they
strive for sustainable development in The Gambia,” Mr Senghore divulged.
It
was therefore pertinent to note that the review would be more inclusive if they
include issues such as the need for local resources and new technologies as
well as public-private partnership approach to funding insfrastural
development.
Mr
Senghore further noted that the national road transport policy must therefore
aim to meet the needs of transport users, underpin sectorial policies for
trade, industry, agriculture, energy and tourism to facilitate the provision of
basic health and education throughout the country.
For
his part, Wally Sanyang, the Director General of Gambia Maritime Administrative
(GMA), said the Gambia Maritime Transport Sector has seen a steady growth over
the past decade accounting for over 90 per cent of the country’s import.
The
trend is expected to continue in the foreseeable future, he said, adding that
The Gambia has made great strides in integrating and cooperating with the
international maritime organisation with regards to maritime safety, security
and environmental protection over the past six years.
He
informed the gathering that this has
been since when the country established
the Gambia Maritime Administration through an Act of Parliament called the
Gambia Maritime Administration Act 2006.
