Minister Sillah was speaking at a recent joint presser attended by ministers held at the Petroleum House in Brusubi.
“So, this is very critical. You have all seen some two months ago when there was an accident at the Senegambia Bridge, when a truck fell on the bridge and then it blocked access on either side. It took us nearly 6 hours to remove that truck because we don’t have the removal machinery and equipment to swiftly react to some of those things,” he stated.
Minister Sillah assured that one of the good things about the agreement is that Africa50 will bring its capacity and experience in ensuring that incase of any problems or accidents on the bridge; they swiftly react without affecting the traffic flow.
“Because any impact on the traffic will also affect the revenue flow. So those things are taken care of.”
Transport Minister revealed that another good thing about the agreement is that it is the private sector that is partnering with the government, and that government has setup a special purpose vehicle for the private sector to run the bridge with the ultimate aim of sharing profit.
“So, this is a very innovative model and if it succeeds and works well, it can be replicated in other sectors and other Africa countries are also catching up with The Gambia on this very innovative model,” he said.
