Drivers of tricycles have called for the government to lift the ban on their business, as they lament being jobless since the ban.   

Ba Musa Drammeh, president of the tricycles association, said: “we are appealing to the government from the president to the last person to please reconsider their decision by looking at those employed Gambians in the tricycle sector and let them not look at the tricycle [ban]. 

“This is an empowerment to the youths and it creates lots of employment for the youths.”

Pa Modou Jobe, CEO of a tricycle company, also said: “the government can just help to lift this ban so that we can go back to our work. 

“Because most of our customers and drivers are Gambians and many of them are the breadwinners of their families and it’s this business.

“They live to feed their families. I am just appealing to the government to lift this ban so that we can go to our normal business.”

Ebrima Touray, a tricycle driver, added: “Yes, there are some foreigners driving the tricycles but a [large] chunk of the drivers are Gambians like myself. And this is our only source of income and I am calling on the government to look at us Gambians and lift the ban. It’s been more than a week we have not been working.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba