Commercial drivers have said they are still dissatisfied despite the government’s recent reduction of fuel prices in the country. 

Dozens of commercial drivers have told Gambiana that the fuel reductions have not yet made any impact on their livelihoods. 

Babucarr Bah, a van driver said: “the price of fuel still needs to be reduced as we are still carrying half the passengers of our vehicle’s capacity.”

He added that even though the price of the fuel was reduced but the way vehicles consumed fuels were quite different.

According to him, some vehicles could make two trips with five litres of fuel while other vehicles could make one trip, adding “we normal earn less than D200 for a trip and if we spent D200 for 5 litres fuel we have no profit to gain.”

He explained why drivers had resorted to increasing fares. “Drivers increased two or three dalasi on top of the usual fares because they were earning less than D200 per trip.” 

He however urged the government to further reduce the current fuel prices.

Famara Dibba, another commercial driver, said: “the reduction of the price of the fuel still did not favour us as we are carrying fewer passengers.

“We understand it is because of the outbreak of this deadly disease that is why the number of the passengers are reduce but yet still government needs to double their effort to help us (drivers) and reduce the fuel prices.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba