DSAG launches nationwide road safety initiative

The event, held at the Alliance Franchise, was held on theme: “To unite and empower Gambia driving schools through standardized education, ethical practices and strategic partnerships, fostering a culture of road safety, compliance and excellence that protects all road users”.

The event attracted key stakeholders committed to reducing the alarming rates of road accidents in The Gambia

Modou Lamin Badjie, president of DSAG, lamented the devastating impact of preventable road accidents on Gambian families, the health sector, and the national economy. 

The association’s mission, he said, is to unify driving schools across the country to ensure consistent, responsible driver training.

Badjie spoke of DSAG’s decentralized strategy designed to set up regional committees aimed at equitable access to resources and training nationwide.

He called on government agencies, non-governmental organizations, instructors, and citizens to join efforts in reducing road accidents by half within five years, describing this initiative as a national duty demanding unity and accountability.

Representing the Inspector General of Police, Lamin King Colley, Commissioner of Mobile Traffic, expressed strong support for DSAG’s launch, describing it ‘long overdue.’ 

He underscored the critical need for well-organized and accountable driving schools in tackling reckless driving and youth related road accidents in the country, particularly unsafe behaviors such as drifting.

Commissioner Colley noted that prior lack of coordination among driving schools hindered effective data collection and consistent training standards.

He stressed that licensing certificates must reflect genuine driver competence, pointing out that many recent fatal crashes including those involving police officers are linked to poor driving skills.

He pledged the police force’s full cooperation in enforcing training standards and promised firm action against violations, urging driving schools to foster unity and responsibility.

Dr. Momodou Gassama, a renowned road safety and public health expert, applauded the launch as a milestone in addressing The Gambia’s road safety crisis. Drawing attention to the disproportionate burden of road fatalities in low-income countries, he challenged stakeholders to move away from calling incidents “accidents,” advocating instead for the term “crashes” to highlight their preventability. 

He urged a comprehensive, evidence-based approach centered on the “three E’s”: enforcement by police, engineering of safer roads, and education that emphasizes competency beyond exams

Gassama encouraged driving schools to shift toward practical, skill-based training and called for data driven policies to better prepare drivers to prevent and respond to crashes. He concluded by advocating a “safe systems” approach integrating prevention, training, response, and policy to reverse rising road death trends.

Ahmed Talib Bensouda, Mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council, expressed gratitude to attendees and highlighted the increasing fatalities due to speeding and poor traffic rule adherence. Contradicting the belief that better roads cause more accidents, he advocated for improved road design and expert consultations, including clear signage and proper road markings.

Sharing personal experiences of driving without proper licensing at age 15, he emphasized the role of certified driving schools in imparting both practical and theoretical knowledge essential for road safety. Bensouda also supported the idea of pedestrian overpasses to enhance safety on busy roads.

Isatou Dea Sawaneh, CEO of GrowherAfrica expressed her excitement about joining the dialogue on road safety, a subject she has long wished to address publicly. 

She highlighted the need for ethical conduct among all road users, including police and health workers, stressing respect for laws, empathy, and patience. 

Sawaneh used the platform to voice concerns over reckless driving and misuse of the new Bertil Harding highway, calling for data to assess its safety impact. 

Omar Ceesay, President of the Gambia Transport Union, also praised the initiative, assuring his union’s full support and active participation in road safety initiatives.