The president of General Transport Union has accused the Gambia Police Force of issuing licences to unqualified drivers which had led to the rise in road accidents. 

Omar Ceesay made the accusation at a press conference on Thursday.

He said most of the road accidents in the country were caused by unqualified drivers with licences issued by the GPF “without the required procedures to acquire driving licence being followed”.

“Driver’s licence is very crucial in the lives of every road user, the issuing of Gambian driver’s licence fall under the purview of The Gambia Police Force since [its] inception. 

“But it is now becoming a concern that drivers having licence without undergoing the normal protocols is the main factor leading to road accidents,” Mr Ceesay claimed.

He said the union recently concluded a nationwide consultation tour with drivers in a bid to addressing their concerns. 

Mr Ceesay said the union was informed that the police had reduced the licence categories for the drivers “arbitrarily without due process” and it had affected their earnings. 

He added that the drivers were the breadwinners of their families and the reduction of their licence categories was causing hardship for their families. 

He disclosed that Gambian drivers face “serious challenges” at the border with Senegal where they faced unjustifiable charges by the Senegalese authorities. 

He said Gambian vehicles had to pay charges such as “Pass Avant” that last for only 10 days which contravened the ECOWAS Protocol on free movement.

He added that the Senegalese authorities are not adhering to the ECOWAS protocol and called on The Gambia Government to address the issue.