By Sailu Bah
The numerous military check points along the Banjul/Serekunda Highway
established after the December 30th Attack has been reduced.
It would be recalled that business persons, civil servants, patients
and taxi drivers have lamented the delay in entering andexiting Banjul because of the check points. Observation has shown
that check point at the Marena Parade around the Arch as
well as the military check point at Box Bar road around Arch 22
were both removed last week.
This trend continued this week with the removal of the military
checkpoint near the Gambia Senior Secondary School just after the new
National Assembly building.
As at now searching of vehicles by military personnel has been eased
and vehicles are seen moving smoothly. Consequently, queuing has
eased.
Commuters as well as drivers have expressed the hope that this trend
continues. Speaking to some of the drivers as well as commuters on
Monday 9 February 2015, Ebrima Faal, a commercial vehicle driver said:
“Now it is easier to go and come out of Banjul compared to those days.
We don’t spend more than 20 minutes going from Serekunda to Banjul.”
He admits that it is now going back to normalcy, adding that this
would encourage more drivers to ply the Banjul-Serrekunda highway
which would make vehicles to be more readily available to commuters.
A taxi driver, Omar Jobe, also expressed the same sentiments.
A regular commuter, Oumie Faal, residing in the Kombos said in those
days she used to spend almost two hours on the road. She said now
that things are changing she would be able to go to Banjul early and
go back home without much delay at the checkpoints. She expressed hope
that the trend continues towards normalcy.
It is exactly one month twelve days after the December 30 attack and
military check points now remain at Kamalo -Cape point Junction,
Denton Bridge and Bond Road where vehicles are checked and searched.
However, the delay in traffic has now been greatly eased.]]>
