In the heart of Latrikunda Market, unsafe drainage slabs have become a growing menace for the thousands who pass through the area each day. Once meant to serve as walkways, many of the slabs are now broken, leaving wide gaps and open gutters filled with stagnant water and waste.
Eyewitnesses, including shopkeepers, vendors, and regular pedestrians, described the risks the faulty drainage poses. They noted that the market already known for its congestion of people and vehicles becomes especially perilous during the rainy season when floodwater conceals the gaps, putting the lives of the blind, elderly, children, women, and newcomers at greater risk.
Wuyeh Hydara, a shopkeeper whose business sits beside a damaged section of the drainage, said he has seen countless accidents. “Some people notice in time, but others fall badly. I covered part of the gap near my shop with wood because no human being deserves that kind of pain. By doing this, I might even be protecting my own family,” he explained.
For Alhagie, a visually impaired man who uses the route daily, crossing the market is an exercise in faith. “One day a slab is firm, the next day it’s broken. My cane can’t always warn me in time. I am lucky to have my son accompany me on weekends, but he also has to go to school,” he said.
Strangers unfamiliar with the market are particularly vulnerable. A customer from Brikama recalled twisting her ankle after stepping onto what appeared to be solid ground. “There were no signs, no warnings - just a sudden fall,” she said.
Women carrying children and goods also struggle with the unsafe conditions. Fatoumata, a mother of three, described the fear of navigating the market with her baby strapped at her back. “There is no space to walk, and one wrong step could be the end of our lives,” she said.
Children heading to school during the rainy season also face heightened risks, especially when flooding hides the open gutters. With no barricades, warning signs or official intervention, pedestrians are left to choose between walking dangerously close to traffic or risking a fall into the drains.
Anthony Keita, Operations and Safety Manager at the National Roads Authority, acknowledged the situation and said the authority is working to address the lapses.
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