By Nelson Manneh
Commercial taxi drivers that ply the Bundung highway, from Serrekunda to Latrikunda, have recently abandoned the way after the recent heavy downpour which left the road in bad condition.
The drivers said the Bundung highway is getting worse by day and the terrible condition of the road destroys vehicles that ply on it, which is why most drivers have stopped using it.
The drivers alleged that the road is worse this year due to the OIC feeder roads’ ongoing construction project.
A driver told Foroyaa: “They came and destroyed the road and left it like that. We cannot use it again because of the condition it is in now.”
Mr Lamin Jabang, a taxi driver whom this reporter met at Latrikunda, said he has stopped plying the road since last week because any time he used the road he must visit a mechanic for maintenance.
“The Bundung highway is bad; the government should visit the road and see its condition. As a driver my priority is my vehicle, I cannot sacrifice it for anything,” he said.
Mr Malang Dampha, another taxi driver, said anybody who used the Bundung highway would attest to the fact that the said road is in bad condition.
“We all know that this road is bad, but its surface deteriorated this year and the authorities are not taking any meaningful action to address the problem. We are tired of complaining because the government is not ready to listen to us. We pay road tax to the government and they are not responding to our basic needs,” he said.
Mr Dampha said it would have been better for the said road to be left the way it was rather than making it worse. “This government is not fair to its citizens, especially drivers. We have no car parks, no good roads, fuel increases almost every month and they continue to collect revenue from us,” she revealed.
Mrs Jainaba Darboe, a vendor who sells at the Serrekunda Market, said it is very difficult to secure the service of a vehicle from Latrikunda to Serrekunda because of the condition of the road.
“I woke up by 6 O’clock to go to the Serrekunda Market, but I sometimes reach there by 8 am which is very sad. The road is bad and drivers are no longer willing to use it,” she said.
Madam Darboe called on the government to intervene and come up with a temporary solution to ease their movement.
