By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, a Political Science Lecturer at the University of The Gambia and party leader of the Citizens’ Alliance (CA), has urged the Gambian government to professionalize the taxi driving industry to enhance public safety and overhaul the entire licensing system to ensure road safety.
The political science lecturer argued that the current method of issuing driving licenses is inadequate, emphasizing that The Gambia has progressed beyond the point where anyone can become a taxi driver without proper qualifications.
“The government should think of overhauling the entire licensing process. Currently, it is not fit for purpose. We need to professionalize the taxi trade. Gambia has passed that stage where everyone can paint a car green and yellow and become a taxi driver,” Dr. Ceesay told Gambia Foolo on Star TV.
He noted that as the country is now developing state-of-the-art roads, it is imperative for the government to revise the licensing system to ensure public safety.
“Everyone who wants to be a taxi driver has to go for special training as a professional driver, and every taxi must be registered differently because it is for public safety,” he recommended to the government.
Furthermore, he suggested that individuals seeking to become taxi drivers should undergo rigorous testing, including character assessments. He highlighted that under the current system, anyone can arrive in The Gambia and immediately start working as a taxi driver.
Recent accidents in the ongoing road construction project around the Senegambia area have caused concern among commuters traveling on the road.
