It is a period in which many families prefer to spend the feast with their families and loved ones in the provinces. Most families travelled as far as Koina and other far-flung communities to celebrate the feast.
However, one issue that caught the attention of many commuters is the transport fares charged by drivers. It doesn’t make any sense and they (drivers) cannot justify the way and manners they increased their fares.
It is said that we have attitude problems in The Gambia especially among drivers. The attitude of some drivers during feasts in the country leaves much to be desired. They always inflate their fares without any justification to do so.
We all know the average salary of Gambian workers. So inflating transport fares to a point that will affect commuters should also be looked into.
We all know that Eid-ul Adha is characterised by mass movement of people from urban centres to the provinces. Most families in the urban centres find it more enjoyable to join their loved ones in the provinces in observance of this important feast.
But some have endured significant challenges due to the attitude of some greedy drivers, who out of ‘sheer greed’ continue to exploit their fellow citizens.
It is high time the government addresses this to avoid future occurrence. Just imagine, in some areas, there were reports that transport fares were tagged to D1,000 and even more. Elsewhere, in most urban settlements, there has been a significant surge in taxi fares from D100 to 150 and even more.
This is alarming. When will this exploitative game end? Where is the police?
We cannot let these greedy drivers continue to exploit their fellow citizens on the flimsy pretext that fuel is expensive.
The Police High Command should have done something about this. We cannot act like there is no law in this country. Most of these greedy drivers pass police manning checkpoints.
This greedy attitude is un-called for.
Also, to some commuters, as much as people want to travel, agreeing to certain fares puts others in a dilemma. In that you may afford certain fares that another may find challenging.
It is high time drivers learn how to show compassion to others. Yes, they may inflate their taxi fares, but they should remember that we are all in it together.
We are all aware of the difficult financial challenges people are going through. However, they will continue to increase their fares without even consulting the respective authorities.
It is high time the Government and its related stakeholders work on this to ensure sanity in the process. This kind of exploitation cannot continue un addressed.
Just imagine, if a family of six is travelling to observe the feast in Basse without a private car. How much are we talking about?
It is time the Ministry of Transport and relevant stakeholders do something about it to avoid these exploitative actions.
Our transport union should take a cue from their counterparts in Senegal, where drivers have a strong voice.