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Momodou
Denmark
11828 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Aug 2009 : 21:55:54
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Driving in The Gambia nowadays is very terrible. It’s unpredictable to know if someone is suddenly going to stop, turn left or right. There is lack of proper traffic rules and it’s mostly who dares to (the law of the jungle9)...
The following Editorial is culled from The Gambia Daily Online and is timely.
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Editorial: Accidents on the Increase Whose Fault police or drivers?
The previous weeks witnessed series of very sad and horrible road accidents that claimed more than 7 lives at different locations. The road side accidents caused by motorists are a concern to the population. At Lamin village an over speeding passenger taxi ran into a baobab tree causing the death of the driver and three passengers on the spot, and later the fourth passenger died at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital, in Banjul. The driver of the said passenger car was said to be drunken.
In the same week another passenger car hit and killed a woman said to be in her late sixties at London Corner. The driver was said to be talking on his mobile phone at the time of the accident. Again an innocent woman lost her life for nothing. This is another horrible road side accident.
It was only a few days ago, that an over speeding vehicle ran into a standing vehicle, causing serious damage to the said vehicle and killing an innocent hard working boy who pushes a wheel barrow for a living. The boy’s identity was not known at the time of the accident. It did not stop there but also hit an innocent woman on the road side causing her serious injuries and now in a very critical condition at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital in Banjul.
In the case of the two accidents eye witness accounts indicated that the vehicles were all running at very high speed. The police PRO could be seen in a very desperate mode complaining why the drivers cannot run at the stipulated speed limits, as indicated in their driver’s license issued by the Inspector General of Police (IGP). He told his audience that there is no excuse for any body who calls him/herself a driver not knowing the speed limits for residential and non residential areas. PRO Secka said, it is a fact that this place is a residential settlement, “so why the over speeding”? He asked.
The question now is whose fault is it? Is it that of the police for failing in their duties or is it because we have a bunch of carefree drivers plying on our roads. If the words of the police PRO are anything to go by, why do the police then fail to ensure that speed limits are observed by the drivers? I want to take the police partly responsible for such carefree driving, in and about our residential areas. The police have succeeded in controlling the speed limit of drivers commuting along Serekunda/Banjul routes, particularly at the Mile 2 /Wardner’s Beach hotel curve. That used to be a common place for fatal accidents before the Police mounted a check on the driver’s speed limits. Why not do the same in the densely populated residential places along the major highways?
I have no doubt that we have the required police population to be able to do that. The numerous newly recruited officers that are all over the place, if assigned to check on such reckless drivers without compromising with any thing certainly the undesirable accidents that are claiming lives will be and can be averted. The police could easily reinforce speed limits as the seat belts have been re-enforced.
A word to the commuting population, passengers should take control over the way drivers operate especially when it comes to careless and reckless driving. They should report over speeding drivers to the nearest police check points. Once passengers report over speeding drivers, it will go a long way to avoid over speeding, a thing that results to too many of our road accidents.
Source: http://www.dailynews.gm
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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faderabraham
203 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2009 : 13:35:59
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momodou,
it will get worse until the drivers test and training is performed correctly, its so easy to get a licence in the gambia the training schools only want the money i have personally seen drivers doing a couple of hours and then they have the licence it has to start with the training and testing of drivers
regards
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2009 : 19:26:13
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I have only met one person in gambia who actually did a proper driving test. The rest paid a bribe to get a license.  
Now there are more cars it is very important people know the rules of the road and stick to them!
Also for safety a degree of separation between pedestrians and cars would help. Eg clear crossing points in the road. It always alarms me how people wander across the road without much traffic awareness. Schools could help in this role. Teaching safety. |
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LEMON TIME
Afghanistan
1295 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2009 : 19:50:33
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What driving test?show some cash to drive in public road with a legal Driving license.In my eyes its License to kill.Try Driving pass Serrekunda market where cars and people play hide and seek. |
There is no god but Allah |
Edited by - LEMON TIME on 30 Aug 2009 18:59:10 |
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