The people who spoke to The Point said the residents often wade in stagnant waters; vendors sell beside stagnant waters daily.
“This stagnant water is affecting us seriously. We cannot sell our goods comfortably and cannot eat in this place because the water is not clean. It has a bad odor,” said Fatoumatta Jaiteh, a vendor beside the Brikama GTSC Bus Depot.
She added that the vendors find it difficult to have a place to sit and sell due to rampant stagnant waters around the market.
“This is not good for our health. We are in total frustration,” she said, while calling on the Brikama Area Council (BAC) and government to construct the roads and streets of the town to prevent stagnant waters as well as ensure effective transportation of goods and services.
Awa Saidykhan, a commuter said: “This place is too filthy. The odor is disturbing us so much. We have to wade in water to get to our destinations or other places.”
She said there is a need for the government and BAC to construct roads and streets of Brikama.
Speaking to this reporter at Brikama Jambar Sanneh Street, Mansa Sidibeh, a commuter, said the stagnant waters on the street is a mixture of water from toilets and rain water.
He further said this could affect the residents’ health.
“This stagnant water is affecting everyone in this area because people find it difficult to walk through this street. In fact, some vehicle owners around here cannot drive their cars through. They have to park them beside the market.”
“The BAC is generating lots of revenue monthly. They either do not want to develop the town or do not want to help us,” he argued.
However, he opined that the government in partnership with BAC should unblock the gutter systems widen the roads to ease the transportation of goods and services within the commercial town.
Nuha Mass, a taxi driver, said this nightmare repeatedly disturbs all, adding it affects taxi drivers more because they always travel around the town.
He said all the places where they used to travel such as Ginda, Nyambai, Missera, Kaira Kunda and others all have stagnant waters.
“This nightmare has affected us because we cannot reach some places due to the lack of good roads and if we were reaching everywhere we would have made much money daily,” he said.
Pa Serign Gaye, a business man said: “I used this road when going to my shop, especially if the highway is congested but the road is too bumpy. The odor of the stagnant water is putrid. It may affect our health in future.”
He added: “I definitely do not appreciate the work of the council.”
Dawda Kanshy, a motorbike rider, told this medium that he finds it difficult to ride on his motorbike around the town as a result of the bad road conditions and stagnant water.
“The government cannot do everything but should prioritise and build roads with stagnant waters,” he said.
