Say management of ferry services should
rather regulate operations of ferries
News of the increment of ferry tariff across The Gambia come May 1st
has been received by users with utter disappointment, as ferry crossing at the
Banjul-Barra crossing point continues to cause untold hardship to
commuters.
In 2011 the ferry services, through the Gambia Ports Authority, bought two “new” ferries to the tune of €6,345,000 equivalent to more than D250 million.
News of the increment of ferry tariff across The Gambia come May 1st
has been received by users with utter disappointment, as ferry crossing at the
Banjul-Barra crossing point continues to cause untold hardship to
commuters.
The Gambia Ferry Services Management Company Limited issued a
press release on Monday announcing that the tariff for ferry services across
the country will be increased by 25 per cent with effect from 1 May 2013.
In this vein, the price of ticket for individual crossing
Banjul-Barra, the main crossing point in the country, will be increased from
D10 to D12.50 when the new increment takes effect.
“I have not yet heard of the announcement, but if that is the case
I will be very surprised,” said Ousman Jaiteh, who spoke to this paper on
Monday at the Banjul ferry terminal.
“Instead of making normal the operations of the ferries and
reassuring people, they are increasing the tariff,” he added.
Ferry services at the Banjul-Barra crossing point have continued
to be a source of nightmare for commuters in recent time.
For Amadou Marong, safety and security of the passengers crossing
the ferry should be the primary concern of the management of the ferry services
because as it is now “people are losing confidence” in crossing onboard the
ferries (at the Banjul-Barra crossing point).
Samboujang Sonko, who is studying political science at the University
of The Gambia, opined that the ferry services made “a grave mistake” when they
bought ferries for millions of dalasis that are not pliable in the country
since they are never used after about two years they have been bought.
In 2011 the ferry services, through the Gambia Ports Authority, bought two “new” ferries to the tune of €6,345,000 equivalent to more than D250 million.
Since the commissioning of the ferries
in July 2011, they are yet to make any commercial trip from Banjul to Barra.
“The ferry services should rectify their own mistake rather than
pass it on to the people by increasing the tariff,” the student said.
“The input that they said is one of the main reasons for the
increment of the tariff, the last time - like three months ago - I read from
the Observer [newspaper] that the Taiwanese Embassy here [in The Gambia] gave a huge amount to The Gambia
government to buy new ferries. Where is
that money, because since then we have not seen any new engine for the ferries;
in fact the conditions of the ferries since then has continued to deteriorate,”
he added.
In December
2012, the Taiwanese Embassy in the country presented a cheque for US$747,692 to
The Gambia government for the procurement of three new ferry engines.
Is
the Senegalese transport union informed?
The MarketPlace has tried in vain to contact the management of the
ferry services to find out whether the Senegalese transport union is informed
of the impending ferry tariff increment.
The last time the tariff of ferry services was increased in July
2005, it created a big confusion between The Gambia and Senegal leading to the
closure of the Senegalese side of the border by the transport union.
