By Lamin Njie, Information Officer, Ministry of Transport.
The Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure, together with its partners such as The Gambia Police Force, World Health Organization- Banjul office, National Roads Authority, University of The Gambia, and Gambia Red Cross Society have on Friday, 7th October, 2022, kicked off a week-long road safety campaign across the length and breadth of the country.
The team will first have a meeting at Barra, mostly with drivers in the North Bank Region of the country before proceeding to Farafenni the same day for another meeting. Similar engagements will happen in Soma, Basse, Bansang, and some major towns and villages in the hinterland of the country.
During the campaign, key messages such as drive slowly, don’t drink and drive, speed kills, the importance of using a seat belt, avoid telephone while driving will be preached mostly to drivers.
Annually, there are over 700 cases of road traffic crashes and about 123 fatal cases (Police Accident Report 2021). As a result, the Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure has set an ambitious target of reducing the number of road traffic crashes to zero road fatalities and serious injuries in the Gambia by 2030.
The main objective of the tour is to raise public awareness and improve the skills, attitudes, and behaviors of road users on road safety and reduce the prevalence of road traffic crashes.
The Greater Banjul Areas and the West Coast Region are also not left behind during the campaign as the touring team will be visiting key strategic locations of these communities where accidents usually occurred.
