By Olimatou Coker
Presiding over the recent joint commemoration of World Action Week for Transport Workers, Omar Ceesay, the president of the Gambia Transport Union, said available statistics have revealed that annually road accidents claim 115 lives in The Gambia.
”And the saddest part to learn is that most of these unnecessary road carnages and injuries can be prevented,” Ceesay lamented.
He added that road traffic fatalities are the leading cause of death for young people aged 5 to 29, while injuries from such accidents are the eighth leading cause of death globally.
“It is about time we pay serious attention to the plight of commercial drivers who are mostly victims of road accidents on our road networks. Research has established some correlation between road accidents and the decent pay for commercial drivers. The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) studies show that a 10% pay increase can reduce road crashes by up to 30%.” Ceesay said.
He also called on the relevant authorities to recognise that the contributions of commercial drivers in the country should be rewarded equally to commensurate with their important role in promoting the Gambia’s socioeconomic growth.
‘There is a need to come up with appropriate policies, laws, and regulations that fully protect the rights of commercial drivers and their operations. We would like to use this opportunity to advocate for decent pay for drivers, no overtime, and legislating laws promoting decent working conditions for commercial drivers.,” he said.
Mr Ceesay said his union remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting the welfare of transporters within the country and beyond.
