Gambia Ports Authority and Ferry Services Playing “Russian Roulette” With Gambian Lives

Bakary Bunja Dabo, Secretary General and Party Leader Gambia For All

GAMBIA FOR ALL PARTY (GFA) CALL FOR URGENT ACTION

Since the creation of the piece of land that is now called The Gambia, with the Island of Banjul as its capital, the sea crossing between this nerve center and the northern part of the country has never been as challenging as seen in recent times.

For the traveling public, a necessary trip to the capital of the nation has become a nerve racking experience, fraught with danger and uncertainty. The journey is uncomfortable, and stressful, not to mention highly dangerous.

It is not only a question of inconvenience caused to the public but equally important, is the daily damage caused to the country’s economy that should concern all Gambians. Significant commercial activity that takes place between The Gambia and Senegal passes through the Banjul/Barra ferry crossing. This trade is now almost brought to a halt because of the dysfunctional ferry service. When this traffic is diverted through the Trans-Gambia Bridge, an additional cost to businesses is inevitably passed on to the consumer. This is completely unacceptable, and urgent steps are needed to address the current dysfunctional ferry state of affairs

Comparatively speaking, it is easier, safer, and perhaps faster to go to the legendary city of Timbuktu, than the short ferry crossing between Banjul and Barra. Both GPA and the Ferry services, responsible for managing this highly essential service, have failed in their mission. Weekly press statements on the reasons for their failures cannot be the solution. It is unacceptable to wait until a ferry breaks down and then for management to start fixing it. They should have foreseen the problems well in advance, and should have taken the necessary steps to mitigate them.

Let’s make this clear, the problems of the ferry services are purely and simply a result of management dysfunction, aided and abetted by a somnolent board of directors, and aggravated by lack of political/government oversight. All the relevant stakeholders have failed the public in what has now become a life endangering situation, and they should be held accountable.
For the longest time, this critical ferry crossing has hindered free flow of movement of goods and services between the capital and the northern half of the country. Management teams and their sleepy boards of directors have not exhibited any visionary commitment to get us out of this dangerous conundrum. There is evidently no grand plan to transform this short but vital

crossing into a modern-era pleasurable journey, where technology-enhanced transportation systems can be used to create comfort and safety for all passengers.

GFA calls on the Government of President Adama Barrow to declare a State of Concern about the Banjul/Baara ferry services, and to put together a technical task force of competent Gambians to come up with an urgent solution to avoid a national calamity that is waiting to happen.

GFA Communications

Na-Jonka House

Kanifing South.