By Fatou Sillah
The president of the Gambia Transport Union, Omar Ceesay, has blamed irresponsible driving for many of the road crashes recorded across the country, saying most incidents could be avoided if motorists adhered to basic road safety rules.
Mr. Ceesay said driver behavior — including that of truck drivers and other commercial operators — is a major factor behind the crashes occurring on the nation’s roads. He argued that many such incidents should not be described as accidents because they are largely preventable.
“We cannot call them accidents,” Mr. Ceesay said. “Globally, they don’t call it an accident. I call it a road crash.”
He also expressed concern about the number of motorists operating vehicles without adequate qualifications. According to him, many drivers lack a proper understanding of traffic regulations and the highway code, even if they are capable of physically operating a vehicle.
“Most of the people can drive a vehicle on the road, but when it comes to highway code and road signs, they are not qualified,” he said.
Mr. Ceesay said road safety should be viewed as a shared responsibility, stressing that both drivers and the wider public have a role to play in preventing crashes.
“I blame the Gambian himself and all of us, because we all contributed,” he said.
He called for stronger enforcement of road safety regulations and improved driver training programs to ensure motorists fully understand the rules governing the use of public roads. Such measures, he said, could significantly reduce the number of crashes across the country.
Comments are closed.