By Makutu Manneh
Scores of commuters plying the Brusibi Turntable to Westfield and Brusibi Turntable to Tippa Garage and Westfield roads, expressed dissatisfaction and disappointment over the increment in fares across the country, and complain that people currently face serious hardships in the country, especially in the area of their livelihood. This came in the wake of announcements that transport fares for all official routes across the country, will be increased effective on 20th January 2023.
However since Friday 20th January 2023, it has been observed that commercial drivers have continued collecting previous transport fares before the announcement of the new increment. And despite this development, some commercial drivers indicate that they will not collect coins from commuters.
Mariama Fofana, who travels daily from Bijilo to Banjul for work, said the increment in transport fares will increase her expenses.
“Everything is expensive in this country. Food commodities are expensive and now an increment in transport fares will just add more insult to injury,” she said.
Oumie Drammeh, another commuter calls on the government to reflect on the average Gambians when making decisions that will affect their lives. She said she has not seen any reason why the transport fares should be increased at this moment when prices of essential commodities surge daily in the country.
Abass Cham told this reporter that he goes to work daily in Serre Kunda in order to be able to feed his family and that the increase of transport fares is not favourable for him. He calls on the government to study the situation of the country because many families are struggling to make ends meet.
