Hon. Seedy SK. Njie, Chairman of The Defense Committee
By Ramatoulie Jawo
The National Assembly’s Committee on Defence and Security, on April 16, 2024, convened major stakeholders to address the persistent road accidents in the Gambia, aiming to pinpoint the causes and devise effective solutions for safer road use.
Participants included representatives from the Inspector General of Police’s office, the General Transport Union, and the Ministries of Interior and Works, among others.
The Committee’s Chair, Hon. Seedy SK Njie, voiced deep concern over the rising number of road accidents. He stressed the importance of recognizing the pivotal role of security forces and the National Roads Authority in tackling these issues.
Hon. Njie underscored the necessity for the police, particularly mobile traffic units, to be well-equipped to meet the challenges brought by new technologies in traffic management. He advocated for the acquisition of modern traffic control tools to combat reckless and underage driving, drink-driving, and vehicle thefts. Implementing measures like street cameras, additional traffic officers, and speed bumps in high-risk areas were identified as critical.
“The police, especially the mobile traffic units, must be adequately equipped and supported to adapt to the evolving challenges posed by technological advancements in traffic management. Modern traffic control equipment should be sought after to address issues such as reckless driving, drink-driving, underage driving, and vehicle thefts. Measures such as installing street cameras, deploying more officers on traffic duty, and collaborating with the National Roads Authority to install speed bumps in accident-prone areas are essential steps in this regard,” he highlighted.
Furthermore, Hon. Njie insisted that the National Roads Authority must address and rectify road conditions contributing to accidents, emphasizing the unacceptable loss of life due to road usage.
He reaffirmed the Assembly’s dedication to providing legislative backing to the police and the National Roads Authority, enhancing road safety, stiffening penalties for traffic offenses, and investing in road infrastructure and law enforcement.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Modou Sowe, highlighted the urgency of digitalizing the traffic control system and called for a shift in attitudes towards road accidents.
“We also need for attitudinal change as far as the predicament of road accidents is concerned.” he said.
Ebrima Colley, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works, Roads, and Infrastructure, acknowledged the gravity of road accidents and detailed the Ministry’s collaborative efforts to mitigate them, including the establishment of a road safety office for community education on traffic laws.“We have been working with our stakeholders to address this, we established a road safety office, where they do sensitize communities on road safety issues and how to comply with traffic laws,” he said
He added they are working on new packages for the police to do more regulations on the roads.
Ousman Sanyang, Managing Director of the National Road Authority, emphasized that road safety is a shared responsibility and advocated for comprehensive community education on road usage, particularly concerning the new Bertil Harding Highway.
“There is the need to embark on an intensive education and awareness of the communities, on the consequences of road accident, to mitigate road accident in the country,” he said.
Omar Ceesay, President of the General Transport Union, reminded the audience that road safety concerns everyone and assured the Union’s continued partnership with relevant bodies to address the issue.