Inspector General of Police
By Buba Gagigo
The Gambia Police Force has asked drivers planning to engage in a sit-down strike on Monday to park their vehicles at a private location.
“Available information at the disposal of the police command reveals plans of a sit-down strike by commercial drivers. This latest rounds of a planned strike comes amid (a) similar strike by some truck drivers at The Senegambia bridge. In this regard, The Gambia Police Force through the office of AIG Operations instructs that, any driver who chooses to go on the proposed sit-down should park their vehicle at a private location,” the police said in a statement on the Poliso Magazine on Saturday.
The police warned against obstructing commercial drivers who wish to continue performing their functions.
“The Gambia Police Force is committed to providing security to those that are not part of the sit-down strike. Any one found breaching the peace and security trying to stop commercial drivers from plying the road will be dealt with accordingly,” the statement concluded
The President of the Gambia Transport Union has announced a proposed an indefinite sit-down by members of the Union effective Monday, until their are met by the Government.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport in a dispatch dated 10th September 2022 informed the public that it is working with the Gambia Transport Service Company (GTSC) to fully deploy its fleet of buses across the Greater Banjul Area starting Monday.
The dispatch said the deployment strategy is in line with Govemment’s Transport Policy to ease the difficulties currently faced by commuters.
According to the announcement, the bus services will run beyond nomal operational hours and would cover the following routes: Brikama – Banjul; Kanifing-Brikama; Sunchu-Banjul; Tippa Garage Sanyang Jambanjelly, Jambur, Jabang & Sukuta; Sukuta- Banjul; Tippa Garage – Banjul; Brusubi- Banjul; Westfield- Bakau; Buffer Zone – Banjul; Westfiled- Manjai; Mandinaring – Banjul; Tabokoto – Banjul; Kartong- Banjul via Gunjur, Tujereng, Tanji & Brufut; Giboroh Banjul; Kanifing Estate – Bartez.
The announcement concluded that there would be special bus services on standby to respond to upsurge in demand especially in congested areas within the Greater Banjul Area; the provincial bus services will still run as normal.
However, the announcement has omitted some frequently plied key routes by many in the Greater Banjul Area.
They include Brikama- Coastal Road, Brikama-Turntable, Turntable-Senegambia, Senegambia-traffic lights, and Turntable-Traffic lights.