Gambia Transport Union President
By Buba Gagigo
The Gambia Transport Union (GTU) said their findings have shown that the Gambia’s driver’s licence should last for 3-years, contrary to the one-year currently given.
“The General Transport Union has conducted extensive research into the laws surrounding the issuance and validity of driver’s licenses. Section 27(3) of the Motor Traffic Act provides as follows: ‘A driver’s license other than a provisional driver’s license shall, unless previously revoked or surrendered, remain in force for a period of three years from the date on which it’s issued,” GTU statement said on Monday.
With the above, the Gambia Transport Union mentioned that It is clear that the law requires that driver’s license should be valid for a period of three years from the date of issue.
“The current practice, however, is that drivers’ licenses are issued for a period of one year and they all expire on the 31st of December, regardless of the date on which it was issued. This is contrary to the provision of the law upon which all licenses should be issued,” the statement added.
It continued that the research has been conducted in a bid to understand the basis of the practice of one-year licensing.
“It is baffling to note that, after rigorous consultations with the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Transport, and Gambia Police Force, as key actors and players; no laws, regulations, policies, statutes, or administrative directives could be traced to explain the basis for the current practice,” the statement continued.
The General Transport Union said its leadership is ‘vigorously’ consulting with relevant authorities to ensure redress and compliance with the law in the soonest possible time.
“The Executive of the General Transport Union is taking this opportunity to remind the Government of its sacred duty of upholding the law and ensuring its organs operate within the confines of the laws. The public is assured that the union will follow up on this matter to ensure compliance with the law,” It concluded.
This medium would seek the reaction of the Gambia Police Force for publication, if obtained.
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