“We are cognizant of the importance of temporal check points, but they shouldn’t be maintained as permanent ones. There operations should be needed base, and not otherwise,” Omar Ceesay, the president of the Union said.
He added that in order to enhance security and coordinate data collection on freight traffic, the Union highly recommends that there should be compulsory introduction of a manifest domestic and international traffic.
According to him, the government should revisit the issue of check points as they significantly reduce travel times. He added that there is a need to balance the security and efficiency objectives of travelers.
The Union, he said, is of the view that the Senegambia Bridge should enhance the livelihoods of the Gambians. Therefore, the government should consider reducing the tariff for vehicles crossing the bridge.
He further urged the government to improve the safety of both passengers and vehicles by installing standard speed bumps in strategic locations across the country as part of broader efforts at improving road safety.
For reduction of rampant road accidents, Ceesay urged the National Road Authority (NRA), in collaboration with all relevant partners to create designated picking and alighting points along the highway and also create designated crossing points for pedestrians.
He outlined that there is a need for the government in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders especially local councils and the private sector to establish on-street and off-street parking facilities especially in the Greater Banjul Areas where the issue of traffic congestion is more visible.
“The government should come up with mechanisms to ensure that contractors utilize local trucks and the drivers in the construction of government projects as the union is of the view that employing the services of our own Gambian commercial sector will help boost our economy and increase employment,” he suggested.
