By Omar Bah
Gambia Transport Services Company (GTSC), in pursuit of its strategic objective of being a leader in the transportation industry within the sub-region, Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with its Senegalese counterparts Dakar Dem Dikk, arguably the largest Dakar Transportation Company.
This initiative, according to both parties, will pave the way for both companies to make regular exchange visits, form strategic alliance on key projects, share experience on best practices and provide the opportunity to foster professional relationship.
The four-man Senegalese delegation which paid a courtesy call to the Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure and Gambia Ports Authority was led by Alhagie Sarr Faal, Secretary General of Dakar Dem Dikk.
Speaking ahead of the signing ceremony, the managing director Habib Drammeh said given the fact that the two institutions share a lot in common the partnership that will centre on staff exchange programmes, knowledge management and technology transfer will immensely benefit both institutions.
He said the MOU will also pave the way for the company to enter the Senegalese market; a service many of its customers aspire to see launched in the near future.
“The MOU will offer reciprocal benefits for our organizations and the two countries at large. To start with we will wish to assist Dakar Dem Dikk to setup electronic ticketing system (ETM) amongst others,” he
said.
He said the electronic ticketing machine currently allows GTSC’s management to access live data on ticket sold, bus location and revenue generation even before the vehicles arrive at the depot as the system transmit data seamlessly from an electronic hand held ticketing machine directly into the company’s main server.
“The Gambia Transport Service Company (GTSC) is dedicated to meeting customers’ needs and expectations by providing them affordable and reliable transport, from Banjul to Basse, Barra and Laminkoto and beyond,” he said.
He said GTSC is also providing a yearly increase in fleet size with the ordering of new vehicles year after year since its inception. “The company also continues to expand its services within the sub-region, with the launching of two international services –to Koundara in Guinea Conakry and Guinea Bissau on weekly basis”.
Meanwhile, the Secretary General of Dakar Dem Dikk, Alhagie Sarr Faal said is only through such strategic partnership and collaboration, expertise of both companies could be shared for the benefit of all stakeholders in the transport sector.
He said both companies, (Dakar Dem Dikk and GTSC) also order vehicles from the same manufacturer, “So a swap arrangement with regard to spare parts would expedite GTSC’s maintenance process”.
