Mr. Ceesay said this is because The Gambia Police Force issue driving licences to all kinds of individuals without subjecting them to test.
Mr. Ceesay whose union is currently on a nationwide tour to discuss with stakeholders (all road users including security forces, governors and area councils) on their challenges as well as their input for the way forward, added that The Gambia Police Force only cares about the money they make with regard to the number of licences they print and not the lives of citizens.
He stated that it is only in The Gambia that someone can acquire a licence through a phone call.
It is reported that The Gambia recorded 123 fatal road accidents in 2020 and for the transport union president, they are the result of human errors with drivers failing to adhere to traffic codes, regulations and signs.
He highlighted that an individual is required to be tested for nine months before being issued a licence. However, he added that the police have failed Gambians by not following the procedure.
“Police are the cause of road accidents in The Gambia because they issue licences to incompetent people,” he said, adding that a lot of people are driving in the country without meeting the requirements.
“The more licences the police print, the more money they make and that’s all they care about,” he added, saying the police as a government force should not be a profit making entity.
He therefore called on government to control the issuance of licence. “Most drivers do not pass through the procedure before being issued licence. They only make a phone call and are issued a driving licence”, he further alleged.
He noted that The Gambia Police Force should not be the issuers of licence because they also enforce the law. “They cannot be players and referees at the same time”.
The aim of the findings is to minimise road accidents which are alarming in the country. He also advised all road users to adhere to traffic code and regulations.
