By: Alieu Jallow
The public relations officer of the Gambia Police Force, ASP Modou Musa Sisawo, in an exclusive interview with The Fatu Network, says that in a determined bid to address the alarming rise in traffic accidents along the Bertil Harding Highway and other parts of the country, the Gambia Police Force has intensified its efforts to enhance road safety nationwide by deploying patrol teams in major hotspot areas within the Bertil Harding Highway.
The police mouthpiece noted that the initiative comes on the heels of a series of devastating accidents that have claimed lives and caused major injuries, thus bringing the issue of road safety into sharp focus before the commencement of the 13th edition of the Banjul Islamic Summit.
“The OIC road was once seen as a slaughterhouse, so after the OIC summit, the government was able to hand close to fifty (50) motorbikes to the Gambia Police Force mobile unit. With other donations and support from our partners, the German Police Force donated about fifteen motorbikes and three pickups, which can be seen on the OIC Highway. This, in essence, is to help minimize hit-and-run incidents and ensure adherence to traffic rules. Thus, the GFP instituted a Highway Patrol to ensure compliance with traffic rules,” he outlined.
The Bertil Harding Highway serves as a crucial road network connecting Banjul to major towns within the Greater Banjul area; however, since its expansion into a standard dual carriageway, it has witnessed a troubling increase in traffic accidents, some of which have been fatal. In light of this, the police PRO highlighted that the Police Highway Patrol initiative has registered tremendous progress in minimizing the number of road crashes and drivers’ failure to adhere to traffic rules.
“Since the Highway Patrol started, we have seen a very low number of accidents within the OIC road. I am aware of the few we have, but fatal accidents and serious accidents have been reduced,” he asserts.
ASP Sisawo outlined that their focus on road safety is not only limited to the OIC road and the Greater Banjul areas but spans across the country, where they distributed motorbikes to enhance surveillance and enforcement along key routes, focusing on reckless driving behaviors such as speeding, drinking and driving, and failure to wear seatbelts.
“We distributed motorbikes within the regions to mobile traffic because mobile traffic is equally important across the country. This is what we are doing proactively.”
While the measures taken by the Gambia Police Force might signify a positive development, many believe that sustained effort is critical to hope for a future where every journey is a safe one.
