By Nelson Manneh
Omar Ceesay, the President of the Gambia Transport Union (GTU) on Wednesday called on the government to review the Motor Traffic Act of 1948 and the Motor Vehicles Third Party Insurance Act of 1948 as they commemorate 2024 Workers Day. The President said the two legislations are outdated and do not address the current realities.
On Wednesday, 1st May 2024 the Gambia Transport Union joined Gambians and the rest of the world to observe International Workers’ Day. In 1889, an International Federation of Socialist Groups and Trade Unions designated May 1st as a day in support of workers, and as a result, the international holiday is observed.
The outspoken leader referenced Section 27 (3) of the Motor Traffic Act 1948 which provides that “A driver’s license, other than a provisional driver’s license, shall be provisional, revoked, or surrendered and remain in force for a period of three years from the date on which it’s issued.”
“It’s clear from the above that the law requires that a driver’s license be valid for a period of three years from the date of issue. The current practice, however, is that a driver’s licence is issued for a period of one year from the date of issue,” he stated.
He said there is no doubt that road transport is a crucial sector of the Gambian economy as it adds a significant percentage to the GDP.
“Over 95% of commercial drivers in the Gambia have no formal contracts with their employers. This is a threat to their welfare as they are not benefitting from any social security. The lack of job security hinders road safety activities in the country,” he said.
The GTU boss said since the establishment of local government institutions in the country, commercial vehicles have been paying their daily car park fees in all municipalities and area councils across the country, but they are still not provided with car parks across the country.
“In 2006, the central government released a communique that all car park fees shall be paid through a fuel levy translating into a contribution of 20 bututs per litter and since then drivers continue to pay that amount for car park fees to date. Yet still, no development of car parks has been registered in the country. This is contrary to the Local Government Act. Car parks play a vital role in the facilitation of efficiency and traffic management,” he said.
Ceesay said the Gambia has failed to implement the Interstate Road Transport Permit (ISTP), which eases movement of people, goods and services across the border.
“The need for ISTP cannot be overemphasised as it will allow passengers to board commercial vehicles directly from the Gambia to any destination in Senegal,” he said.
