Gambia has recorded 681 road traffic accidents/crashes from January to October this year, according to the commissioner of Police Mobile Traffic Unit. 

Lamin King Colley said out of this number, 109 people have died including Gambians and non-Gambians from these road accidents.     

Commissioner Colley was speaking on Thursday (13 October) at the Banjul garage as part of efforts by different stakeholders in the transport sector to sensitise drivers and other road users across the seven administrative regions of the country about road safety. 

The police commissioner further revealed that apart from overspeeding, lacking breaks, and worn-out tyres, some drivers are in the habit of taking substances such as drugs while carrying passengers leading to serious accidents.

He called on the drivers to change their attitudes positively whenever they are carrying passengers. 

He said his men and women in uniform will ensure that drivers always follow the traffic rules at all times.

Commissioner Colley’s revelations came at a time when the Gambia is ranked among countries in the world with the highest number of road traffic accidents/crashes.

Last month, lawmakers declared the country’s increasing traffic road accidents as “a national emergency” that needs urgent measures to address the situation.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure, together with the Gambia Transport Union, the Ministry of Gender, the Gambia Police Force, the Gambia Red Cross Society, and others have embarked on a nationwide road safety sensitisation tour across the country.

The week-long tour was geared towards educating drivers and other road users on safe driving and best practices on the road such as low speed, no drinking and driving, the importance of using a seat belt, helmet usage, and zebra crossing on the road among other issues regarding road safety.

So far, all the major towns and some villages in the provincial Gambia were visited by the team. Banjul, the Kanifing Municipality, and West Coast Region were covered as well.

By Lamin Njie

Ministry of Transport