Gambia Ferry Service Says Bus Driver Was Only Person in Vehicle That Partially Submerged in River

The Malian – registered bus that plunged Into the River at the Barra Ferry Terminal

By Buba Gagigo

The Gambia Ferry Service has officially verified that a bus from Mali has experienced a partial submersion in the river at the Barra Ferry Terminal. They have clarified that the sole occupant of the vehicle at the time of submersion was the driver.
“The general public is hereby informed that today at around 11:30am, a 55-seater bus with Malian no. BQ 2332 MB was at Barra terminal to proceed to Banjul. The driver denied boarding the ferry due to technical deficiencies observed on the bus. After mechanical assessment, the driver asked his team to push the bus to confirm the technical condition of the bus to prepare for loading before the arrival of the next ferry. “It was during that push that the bus veered towards the landing bridge and partly plunged into the waters because of malfunctioning brakes. There was only a driver there with no passenger on board. A crane has been mobilized at both Barra and Banjul terminals to ensure speedy recovery of the part of the bus already in the waters. Service at this Banjul/Barra ferry crossing will resume within the next few hours,” they said in a press statement.
Gambia Ferry Service Co. Ltd. is responsible for the ferry operation between Banjul and Barra.