Picture taken during the operation clear the roads exercise
EFSCRJ has been monitoring the ongoing road clearing exercise which was re-launched by the Police since January 13, 2025. We note that the management of our highways lies with the National Roads Authority, while secondary roads within our communities are under the purview of the local councils. Indeed, the Gambia Police Force bears primary responsibility for the maintenance of law and order in this country, for which they are required to support any agency in the enforcement of the law.
The Gambian economy is largely dominated by the informal sector. For that matter, street vendors and the display of their wares on the roads, in front of markets and along highways are common and widespread. This phenomenon which is common in cities and towns across Africa is largely because of the lack of adequate and dedicated spaces such as markets, parks and other infrastructures where both vendors and customers could use to buy and sell to their convenience.
We also note that road construction in the Gambia does not generally provide necessary spaces and facilities to allow vendors and customers to buy and sell conveniently and safely. The new Bertil Harding Highway is an example of how the informal sector is not considered when building public infrastructures. This means a lot of petty trading will be carried out in the streets to the inconvenience of all.
Roadside vendors are mostly poor individuals who are barely making a livelihood. Most of them pay duties, levies, rates or taxes daily to various public institutions yet receive far less services and facilities. EFSCRJ is therefore concerned that if these people are removed, where will they go to earn a livelihood? Families and futures depend on these vendors for housing, sanitation, education, food, and healthcare, among other necessities of life.
We hold that indeed roads and highways should be kept clean, clear and devoid of obstacles to traffic and the movement of people. While this is the duty of the Government at both local and central levels, it is also the duty of these institutions to create necessary infrastructures and services to enable a viable informal sector as an integral part of national development.
EFSCRJ therefore wishes to raise concern that the removal of street vendors must have a plan to immediately relocate them to well position and equipped spaces for them to continue to earn a decent living. Both the central and local governments have a duty to build markets, create spaces and other infrastructures to cater for an expanding array of informal sector operators.
We also wish to state that the Police must exercise utmost discipline, decorum and compassion in this exercise. It is because of the lack of public facilities that many vendors are stationed along the road. Many cannot afford to rent stalls or other spaces to sell their wares. Hence vendors are under severe psychological strain to be asked to move when they have no other alternatives. Therefore, we demand that the Police exercise greater understanding in dealing with vendors who will be hugely disturbed for being asked to move which could effectively tantamount to losing a source of livelihood.
Vendors are not criminals nor undesirable elements. Rather they are hardworking Gambians who wish to earn a decent and honest living in order to remove themselves and their families out of poverty and deprivation. They require all the patience, time and space to help them deal with this difficult situation of being asked to move.
In this regard, we consider the decision of the Police to institute immediate eviction, seizure of goods and properties, prosecution, fines, or confiscation among other actions for non-compliance to be concerning. The fact that the Police are lamenting that those previously removed have returned to the same place indicates that there are limited, if any alternatives for these vendors. Hence the Police must be careful not to render a person helpless, deprived or denied a means of livelihood in the name of road clearing.
Finally, we hereby urge the Gambia Government and local councils to urgently ensure the provision of necessary public infrastructures and facilities to protect and fulfill the social and economic rights of the vendors. Citizens who wish to earn a living on their own and pay taxes have a right to decent and adequate infrastructure and facilities for that purpose. These vendors are contributing immensely to the socio-economic development of this country hence the peace and stability of the Gambia.
We call on all CSOs, the media, political parties and indeed all citizens to closely monitor this road clearing exercise to ensure the full protection of the rights of vendors. We should not only be concerned about the clearing of the roads but also, we must be concerned about the impact on the lives and livelihoods of individuals, families and communities. The authorities must be viable and affordable alternatives for vendors, and not to be left in limbo.