By Kebba AF Touray
Passengers from Wuli East and West, plying the Basse-Passamas and the TransGambia highway, are complaining bitterly over what they describe as their painstaking travels on these routes on a daily basis.
According to the commuters, the road is daily becoming impassable amid their latest constraint which is the fare increment by drivers.
The drivers on their part, lamented the poor road conditions as their major obstacle compelling them to increase fares from D50 to D75, amidst the diversions they have to use to be able to reach their destinations. The drivers explained that in doing so, they are forced to make diversions into cultivated farmlands which is detrimental to both crops and farm owners.
Alagie Saikou Dibbasey, a commuter, said travelling to Basse has been a major nightmare for the past 22 years. He called on the new regime to do all it can to salvage the situation of the road. Dibbasey further urged drivers to reduce fares to ensure that the transportation of people, goods and services is done reasonably.
Ma Bintou Jaiteh, another passenger, narrated that the high cost of fares and the difficulties encountered amidst sleepless nights has become an unbearable situation they’ve lived with for the past twenty two years and it has now reached breaking point.
She appealed to government to do something about this terrible situation and make it history for residents of the area.
Ba Jimmo Jabbi, a driver, explained that the terrible conditions of the road has forced them to increase fares to D75; that the D25 added, takes care of the maintenance cost and the payments they make to tractor owners when they get stuck in the muddied laterite road. He revealed that even the quantity of fuel they use, has increased from 20 to 30 litres; that this enables them to go and come back on their journey. He implored the government to do everything possible to help them with a good road infrastructure.
